French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation 6…dxc3 7. Nf3
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Statistics from Lichess
18,820 games: White 57.1% / Draw 4.5% / Black 38.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 8,0198,019 | ||
| 7,1617,161 | ||
| 2,5242,524 | ||
| 753753 | ||
| 7878 | ||
| 7777 | ||
| 6060 | ||
| 4848 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.61 White is slightly better
Best play: 7... Ne7 8. bxc3 Qc7 9. Bd3 Nd7 10. O-O Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Qxe5 12. Re1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation (ECO C17, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Maróczy-Wallis Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 cxd4 6. axb4 dxc3 7. Nf3 (7 moves).
In 18,820 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 57.1%, Black 38.4% and 4.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…cxb2, in 43% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 7. Nf3
7…Qc7 scores best for Black: 42.9%, with Black winning 40.6% and White 54.8% of 7,161 games. The most played answer, 7…cxb2, scores lowest: 38.6% in 8,019 games. Stockfish's first choice is 7…Ne7.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation (C17)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-winawer-variation-advance-variation-6