Editing French Defence (section)

===Advance Variation: 3.e5 <span class="anchor" id="Advance Variation"></span>===
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|pd|pd|  |  |  |pd|pd|pd
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| Advance Variation after 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3
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The main line of the Advance Variation continues 3...c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 and then we have a branching point:
 
* 5...Qb6, the idea is to increase the pressure on d4 and eventually undermine the white centre. The queen also attacks the b2-square, so White's dark-square bishop cannot easily defend the d4-pawn without losing the b2-pawn. White's most common replies are 6.a3, 6.Be2, and 6.Bd3.
** 6.a3 is currently the most important line in the Advance: it prepares 7.b4, gaining space on the queenside. Black may prevent this with 6...c4 intending to take ''[[en passant]]'' if White plays b4, which creates a closed game where Black fights for control of the b3-square. A possible line is 6.a3 c4 7.Nbd2 Na5 8.Rb1 Bd7 and Black has a firm grip on b3 square. Alternatively, Black may continue developing with 6...Nh6, intending ...Nf5, which might seem strange as White can double the pawn with Bxh6, but this is actually considered good for Black. Black plays ...Bg7 and ...0-0 and Black's king has adequate defence and White will miss his apparently 'bad' dark-square bishop.
** 6.Be2 is the other alternative, aiming simply to castle. Once again, a common Black response is 6...Nh6 intending 7...cxd4 8.cxd4 Nf5 attacking d4. White usually responds to this threat with 7.Bxh6 or 7.b3 preparing Bb2.
** 6.Bd3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Bd7 (7...Nxd4{{chesspunc|??}} 8.Nxd4 Qxd4 9.Bb5+) 8.0-0 Nxd4 9.Nxd4 Qxd4 10.Nc3 is the [[Stuart Milner-Barry|Milner-Barry]] Gambit. If Black continues 10...Qxe5, White gains an attack with 11.Re1 Qb8 12.Nxd5 or 11...Qd6 12.Nb5.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hooper |first1=David |author-link1=David Vincent Hooper |last2=Whyld |first2=Kenneth |author-link2=Kenneth Whyld |title=The Oxford Companion to Chess |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |edition=2nd |year=1996 |orig-year=First pub. 1992 |contribution=Milner-Barry Gambit |page=260 |isbn=978-0-19-280049-7|title-link=The Oxford Companion to Chess }}</ref>
* 5...Bd7 was mentioned by [[Gioachino Greco|Greco]] as early as 1620. It is known as the [[Max Euwe|Euwe]] Variation<ref>{{cite web |last1=Watson |first1=John |title=French Defence |url=https://www.chesspublishing.com/content/2/dec14.htm |website=Chess Publishing |access-date=13 June 2020}}</ref> and was popularised by [[Viktor Korchnoi]] in the 1970s. Now a main line, the idea behind the move is that since Black usually plays ...Bd7 eventually, he plays it at once and waits for White to show his hand. If White continues 6.a3, modern theory says that Black at least equalises after 6...f6! The lines are complex, but the main point is that a3 is a wasted move if the black queen is not on b6 and so Black uses the extra tempo to attack White's centre immediately. Common continuations after 5...Bd7 are 6.Be2 or 6.dxc5 (6.Bb5? is immediately refuted by 6...Nxe5).
* 5...Nh6 has recently become a popular alternative; the idea is that 6.Bxh6 gxh6 gains Black a semi-open g-file to attack the White king, or Black can play ...Bg7 to support ...f6 to attack White's pawn on e5. If White doesn't take the knight, it will move to f5 to pressure d4, or (after ...f6) to f7 to pressure e5.

There are alternative strategies to 3...c5 that were tried in the early 20th century such as 3...b6, intending to [[fianchetto]] the bad bishop and which can transpose to [[Owen's Defence]]. Also possible is 4...Qb6 5.Nf3 Bd7 intending 6...Bb5 to trade off the "bad" queen's bishop. Playing 3...Nc6 is a misguided attempt to reach the Hecht Reefschlager Variation or the Guimard Variation.