C17 French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation
C17 holds nine named lines, all under the name French Defense. It leaves C16, a position of the same name, with 4...c5. White’s pieces and pawns attack ten squares in Black’s half, the second-highest count of the 19 French Defense codes. Material is no longer level at the end of three of its lines; the widest gap, one pawn in Black’s favour, comes in French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | e4 | e6 |
| 2 | d4 | d5 |
| 3 | Nc3 | Bb4 |
| 4 | e5 | c5 |
The move that completes C17
The reference line of C18 plays all of these moves and continues beyond them; C17 is the position reached at 4...c5.
- 4...c5 The c-pawn advances two squares to c5, covering b4 and d4, opening a line for the queen on d8.
Lines filed under C17
All nine share their first eight plies, the whole reference line and then split three ways at White’s move 5.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation | (the shared start itself) | 8 | |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation | 5.a3 | 9 | |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, Moscow Variation | 5.Qg4 | 9 | |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Bogoljubow Variation | 5.Bd2 | 9 | |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Retreat Variation | 5.a3 Ba5 | 10 | |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, Icelandic Defense | 5.Bd2 Ne7 6.f4 | 11 | |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Maróczy-Wallis Variation | 5.a3 cxd4 6.axb4 dxc3 | 12 | Black +1 |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Retreat Variation, Armenian Line | 5.a3 Ba5 6.b4 cxd4 | 12 | Black +1 |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation | 5.a3 cxd4 6.axb4 dxc3 7.Nf3 | 13 | Black +1 |
The road to C17
- 1.e4 … 3.Nc3five earlier stops: B00, C00, C10
- 3...Bb4C15 Winawer Variation
- 4.e5C16 Advance Variation
- 4...c5C17
The position after 4...c5
White has brought out the knight on c3; Black the bishop on b4. White could capture with dxc5. White is to move and has 32 legal moves.
Codes that branch off from C17
The reference lines of one other code leave C17 from the position after 5.a3, each with its own moves.
| Code | Moves | Reference line |
|---|---|---|
| C18 | 5...Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 | French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation |
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| C15 | French Defense: Winawer Variation | four squares: e4, c5, e5, c7 |
| C02 | French Defense: Advance Variation | six squares: b1, c3, b4, c5, c7, f8 |
| C07 | French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System | six squares: d2, c3, b4, e4, e5, f8 |
| C08 | French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System | six squares: d2, c3, b4, e5, e6, f8 |
| C10 | French Defense: Paulsen Variation | six squares: b4, e4, c5, e5, c7, f8 |
| D32 | Tarrasch Defense | six squares: c2, e2, b4, c4, e5, f8 |
| B14 | Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack | eight squares: c2, b4, c4, c5, e5, f6, f8, g8 |
Where lines continue from here
Twenty-eight named lines filed under other codes pass through the position after 4...c5. Besides the codes above, they belong to C19.