French Defense: Advance Variation, Paulsen Attack
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3
The French Defense: Advance Variation, Paulsen Attack is a chess opening classified as ECO C02, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3. It is a line of the French Defense. Black is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 25,969 times by this move order. White won 48%, 4% were drawn and Black won 48%. The most popular continuation is 5… Qb6 (47% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.22 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 5… Qb6 6. a3 c4 7. Nbd2 Na5 8. Be2)
- ECO
- C02
- Moves
- 9 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pp3ppp/2n1p3/2ppP3/3P4/2P2N2/PP3PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 2 5- PGN
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 3,986 | |
| 1500-1999 | 14,693 | |
| 2000+ | 7,290 | |
| All | 25,969 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5… Qb6 | 12,225 (47%) | |
| 5… Bd7 Advance Variation, Euwe Variation | 6,053 (23%) | |
| 5… Nge7 | 3,149 (12%) | |
| 5… cxd4 | 2,320 (9%) | |
| 5… a6 | 435 (2%) | |
| 5… f6 | 347 (1%) | |
| 5… Nh6 | 304 (1%) | |
| 5… Qa5 | 221 (1%) |
Master games
4,677 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 43%, draw 17%, Black 40%). The strongest:
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2840) – GM Praggnanandhaa R (2733) 0-1 · 14th Norway Chess 2026 · 2026-06-02
- GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2777) – GM Erigaisi Arjun (2761) 1-0 · FIDE World Bl Team Pool C · 2026-06-20
- GM Vladimir Kramnik (2753) – GM Teimour Radjabov (2765) 0-1 · GCT Blitz Paris 2021 · 2021-06-21
- GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2777) – GM Praggnanandhaa R (2735) 1-0 · GCT Super Rapid Croatia · 2026-07-02
- GM Sergey Karjakin (2743) – GM Richard Rapport (2763) 1/2-1/2 · 84th Tata Steel Masters · 2022-01-23
Search all games of the French Defense: Advance Variation, Paulsen Attack and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- El_Banditoff (2740) – GM cutemouse83 (2926) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- FM The_Fawkes (2686) – GM cutemouse83 (2913) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- Epichess95 (2818) – McMasterKid (2768) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
French Defense: Advance Variation (4. c3 Nc6) 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6
Continuations
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Euwe Variation C02 · 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bd7
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Main Line C02 · 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. a3
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit C02 · 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. Bd3
More French Defense lines (all)
- French Defense (1. e4 e6) C00
- French Defense (2. d4 d5) C00
- French Defense: Alapin Gambit C00
- French Defense: Baeuerle Gambit C00
- French Defense: Banzai-Leong Gambit C00
- French Defense: Banzai-Leong Gambit, Pinova Gambit C00
- French Defense: Bird Invitation C00
- French Defense: Carlson Gambit C00
- French Defense: Chigorin Variation C00
- French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit C00
- French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit Accepted C00
- French Defense: Franco-Hiva Gambit C00
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.