Caissa Codex
C19

French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, Smyslov Variation

Chess diagram: French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, Smyslov Variation after 7. a4

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Statistics from Lichess

37,586 games: White 50.4% / Draw 5.9% / Black 43.7%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
13,41513K
9,2419,241
5,9765,976
3,7983,798
2,6852,685
812812
480480
433433

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.31 White is slightly better

Best play: 7... Nbc6 8. Nf3 Qa5 9. Bd2 Bd7 10. Be2 f6 11. c4 Qc7 12. cxd5

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, Smyslov Variation (ECO C19, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Ne7 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. a4 (7 moves).

In 37,586 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.4%, Black 43.7% and 5.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…Qa5, in 36% of those games.

It continues into one named variation.

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How to play against the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, Smyslov Variation

The most played answer, 7…Qa5, also scores best for Black: 47.9%, with Black winning 44.6% and White 48.8% of 13K games. Of the main answers, 7…b6 scores lowest: 44.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 7…Nbc6.

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

Variations (1)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 4…Ne7 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. a4, the position after French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation also goes on to:

Transpositions

This position is also reached from these lines, by another move order:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, Smyslov Variation (C19)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-winawer-variation-advance-variation-smyslov-variation

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