Chess Codex
Tree path 7 levels French Defense › Normal Variation › French Defense › Paulsen Variation › French Defense: Winawer Variation › Advance Variation › French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation
  1. Chess Codex
  2. French Defense C00
  3. Normal Variation C00
  4. French Defense C00
  5. Paulsen Variation C10
  6. French Defense: Winawer Variation C15
  7. Advance Variation C16
  8. French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation C17 you are here
C17

French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation

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Overview

French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation is a named branch in the Open Games group of chess theory, classified under ECO C17.

The Open Games group covers open games — classical 1.e4 e5 openings where both sides contest the centre directly with pawns.

It begins with 8 plies and takes 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 to reach the canonical position.

In the opening tree, this line branches off from French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, part of the broader French Defense system.

3 named variations grow from this line, including French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, Moscow Variation, French Defense: Winawer Variation, Bogoljubow Variation.

Counted recursively, this branch covers 36 sub-variations at all depths.

Use the board to walk through every move, check how the position has scored on Lichess, or take it head-to-head against Stockfish.

ECO code
C17
Group
Open Games (C)
Plies
8
Parent
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation
Direct variations
3
Total in subtree
36

This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.

Statistics from Lichess

2,002,189 games · White 48.6% / Draw 5.1% / Black 46.3%

MovesGamesW / D / B
a31,467,991
Bd2202,793
Nf3115,663
Qg480,043
dxc540,048
Be337,683
f430,253
Bb5+16,473

Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 01:49:31

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Variations (3)

Related variations at the same level

Sister lines that share the same parent French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation:

Show all 36 sub-variations (full subtree)

https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-winawer-variation-advance-variation-2