French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, Smyslov Variation 7. a4 Qc7
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Statistics from Lichess
7,302 games: White 51.1% / Draw 5.2% / Black 43.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 4,8844,884 | ||
| 685685 | ||
| 455455 | ||
| 263263 | ||
| 236236 | ||
| 189189 | ||
| 181181 | ||
| 135135 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.49 White is slightly better
Best play: 8. Nf3 O-O 9. Be2 b6 10. O-O h6 11. Nh4 Ba6 12. Bb5 Bxb5
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, Smyslov Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Ne7 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. a4 Qc7 (7 moves).
In 7,302 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.1%, Black 43.7% and 5.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. Nf3, in 67% 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…Qc7
The most played answer, 8. Nf3, also scores best for White: 57.7%, with White winning 54.9% and Black 39.5% of 4,884 games. Of the main answers, 8. Ba3 scores lowest: 35.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 8. Nf3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White'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, Smyslov Variation (C19)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-winawer-variation-advance-variation-smyslov-variation-2