Openings / French Advance
• White can also recapture on b5 with the bishop, further pressuring the knight.
9. ... Nxf3+ THEMES This is the gambit line in its purest form.
• Black exchanges on f3 to avoid spend ing a tempo retreating or having his queen mis placed on d4. The drawback is that White now has a steady lead in development.
• White’s dark-squared bishop develops to e3 with a tempo.
• White gains quick control of the c-file.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES • White sacrifices the pawn on d4. In turn, he now has the vacant d4-square to swing the knights from f3 to b5 or b3.
• Without the d4-pawn, White can achieve rapid development via Be3, also attacking Black’s queen on b6 which does not have a satisfactory place to retreat.
• Another reason White sacrifices on d4 is to allow the bishop to develop to d3 quickly. The main lines of the French Advance have White developing the bishop to e2 in order to preserve the pawn. The d3-bishop pow erfully exerts pressure along the b1-h7 diagonal.
• Consequently, White can always generate threats with Ng5 and Qh5.
• If the knight is cleared from f3, White can develop the queen to g4 and place pressure on the g7-square before Black is castled.
• With the c-file cleared, White is free to occupy it with the rooks.
• When at a loss for a plan, consider doubling on the c-file and infiltrating on the seventh rank.
• You should try to prevent Black from castling as long as possible.
• If there is a choice between regaining a pawn and keeping up the attack, go with the latter.
• Even if Black consolidates, White is rarely lost in the endgame.
9. ... Nc6 THEMES Black chooses to retreat the knight as soon as
he wins the pawn. This line was initially popular against the gambit, but fell out of fashion as the c6-knight became more of a target than a stalwart in Black’s position.
• The c6-knight exerts additional pres sure on the vulnerable e5-pawn. However, White should not be worried. In many lines, he will sacrifice that pawn as well for the sake of opening the e- file.
• White develops the d2-knight to b3 and places it on c5 if possible.
• A typical plan is to exchange the c5-knight for the d7-bishop and then pressure Black’s c6- knight with the light-squared bishop.
• If Black exchanges the c5-knight with the dark- squared bishop, White’s bishop on e3 recaptures and prevents Black from castling.
• White should prepare the advance a3, b4-b5. If Black tries to stop it with a6, the b6-square now becomes a target.
9. ... Nc6 FRENCH DEFENSE,
ADVANCE VARIATION (C02) WIM Alisa Melekhina (FIDE 2265, USA) Carole Forestier (FIDE 2103, FRA) World Girls U-20 Championship (2), Czarna/Chotowa, Poland, 08.04.2010
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Qb6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Bd7 8. 0-0!? Nxd4 9. Nbd2 Nc6
From c6, the knight exerts additional pressure
on the now vulnerable e5-pawn and blocks the c-file—one of White’s main strengths. However, the knight stunts Black’s d7-bishop and becomes a target for a queenside advance.
10. Nb3! (see diagram top of next page) The fight for the d4-square begins. From b3, the
knight is stealthily eyeing the c5-square. The outpost can be fortified with the help of the bishop
(It doesn’t even matter that White regained one of the pawns; his attack is already devastating. Black’s pieces are uncoordinated and it doesn’t help that he can not castle.) 22. ... Nf3+ 23. Kf1 Rc8 24. Bb5 Qe7 25. Bxb6! Rb8 26. Bxd7+ Qxd7 27. Qxf3 axb6 28. Red1 Qa7 29. Qc6+ Ke7 30. Qd6+ Kf6 31. Qf4+ Kg6 32. Rc7 as seen in the game Pap, M (2387)-Kosic, D (2519)/Bosnjaci, 2005, 1-0. Another example of this line is 13. ... Ngxe5 14. Nxe5 Qxe5 (14. ... Nxe5? 15. Nxe6) 15. Nxb7 (15. Nxd7 Kxd7 16. Qb3 A tempting alternative. Despite being two pawns down, White has a healthy attack with full mobility against Black’s vulnera ble king. One plan is to go for the f2-f4-f5 breakthrough) 15. ... d4 16. Bd2 Rb8 17. Re1 Qc7 18. Na5 (How quickly the knight on c6 becomes a thorn in Black’s side.) 18. ... Qb6 19. Nxc6 Bxc6 20. Qh5! Bd7 21. Ba5 Qd6 22. Bc7 led
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• The d4-square is used as a pivot point for the f3-knight to swing to b5.
9. ... Bc5 THEMES Considered to be Black’s best try against the 9. Nbd2 gambit.
• Black maintains the hold on the d4-knight and prevents White from devel op ing the bishop to e3 with a tempo.
• If White doesn’t take action quickly, Black is on his way to castling and consolidating.
• White can strike on the queenside with b4 at the right moment, temporar ily sacrificing another moment.
• Alternatively, White can play on the kingside. Now that Black controls the d4-square, White should think about jumping the f3-knight to g5.
• Black leaves the g7-square vulnerable; White could take advantage with Qg4.
• If Black develops the knight via e7-g6, White can chase it back with h4-h5.
Together these principles will help you catch your opponent off-guard in a highly aggressive and strategic gambit. Let’s see these principles in action in the examples below:
coming to e3 with a tempo—a positive of having the d4-pawn missing.
10. ... Nge7 11. Be3 Qc7 The black queen will always have several
options of where to retreat. c7 is more natural since it continues Black’s threats on the e5-pawn. Very quickly, however, it finds itself exposed on the c-file.
12. Rc1 Ng6 13. Nc5 Rc8?! Black's best bet is to grab the second pawn, but it
is not psychologically easy to do since it only opens up additional lines for White’s already active pieces. An alternative line is 13. ... Bxc5 14. Bxc5 (If Black doesn’t capture the knight, then it starts wreaking havoc with Nxd7 or Nxb7. However, now Black will never be able to castle.) 14. ... Ngxe5 15. Nxe5 Qxe5 16. Qb3 (Finding another route to attack the weak b7-point.) 16. ... b6 17. Ba3 Qf4 18. Rfe1 (Utilizing all open lines. Remember that sacrificing the e-pawn is an additional theme.) 18. ... Kd8 19. g3 Qf6 20. Bd6 (The bishop is untouchable.) 20. ... Nd4 21. Bc7+ Ke8 22. Qxd5.
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