Download PGN of January ’26 French games
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Advance 5...Bd7 6 Be2 Nge7 7 0-0 Nf5 8 dxc5 [C02]
After 3 e5 c5 4 c3 Nc6 5 Nf3 Bd7 6 Be2, Black has played a variety of moves. One of the most solid is 6...Nge7, and if 7 0-0, 7...Nf5:
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When ...Nge7 is played in the Advance Variation, it's always hard to decide whether or not to play ...cxd4/cxd4 before playing ...Nf5 (for example, in our line, we’ve seen 7 0-0 cxd4 8 cxd4 Nf5 many times in the Archives). Against this Be2/0-0 setup, I think delaying ...cxd4 is more flexible. In Liang, A - Sevian, S, US Ch Saint Louis 2025, tried to exploit this order by 8 dxc5 and Black played 8...a5 (to prevent 8...Bxc5 9 b4) 9 Bd3 Bxc5. The play can go various directions, but I think it’s fair to call it equal.
Rubinstein Variation 4...Nd7 mainline, 8 0-0 cxd4 9 Nxd4 Bc5 [C10]
Until recently, I haven’t reacted to the rapid expansion of interest in the Rubinstein Variation 3 Nc3 (or 3 Nd2) 3...dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nd7. This opening fits the modern tendency to cut down on the need for constant preparation and revision. It’s important to know how to respond to all typical White setups, of course, but once you have a repertoire with 4...Nd7, you aren’t likely to run into a new move which completely upsets the balance of the position or even confronts you with a dangerous attack. For this reason, the Rubinstein provides a handy backup French system which requires minimal upkeep.
White’s main line is 5 Nf3 Ngf6 6 Nxf6+ Nxf6 and now a wide variety of tries you can see examples of in the Archives. But White will often want to simplify his own preparation and we continue to see the popular move 6 Bd3. Then one main line is 6...Nxe4 7 Bxe4 Nf6 8 Bd3 (see the Archives for examples of 8 Bg5) 8...c5 9 0-0 cxd4 10 Nxd4 Bc5 11 Nb3:
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A key position; Black has several plausible retreats. In Tran, V - Fajdetic, H, 1st Thursday Dec 18th 2025, he played 11...Bd6 12 Bg5 Qc7 (12...h6 with the idea 13 Bb5+ Ke7! 14 Bxf6+ gxf6 is a good alternative) 13 h3 Bd7 with a balanced game.
In Perez Pietronave, C - Conlazo, E, Tigre 2025, Black played the natural 11...Bb6:
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This is fine, but allows White to expand on the queenside with 12 a4!, which is slightly annoying. White played 12 Bg5 instead, and Black even got a small advantage entering the middlegame.
Rubinstein Variation 4...Nd7, 7 g3 b6 [C10]
After 5 Nf3 Ngf6 6 Nxf6+ Nxf6, many moves have been analysed in depth (see the Archives), but 7 g3 has been rather neglected, and some strong players have turned to it to avoid overused lines. After the natural response 7...b6, White has some options. The normal-looking 8 Bg2 Bb7 9 0-0 Be7 was played in Tsaruk, M - Ashraf, A, Titled Tuesday Sept16th Chess.com 2025.
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White can develop slowly by 10 Qe2 or 10 c4, discussed in the notes; in the game, he chose 10 Ne5!? Bxg2 11 Kxg2, when 11...Qd5+ is an easy equalizer. 11...c5 12 dxc5 bxc5?! followed and White gained a small advantage; 12...Qxd1 and ...Bxc5 was equal.
White chose the more common move 8 Bb5+ (to lure Black’s bishop away from b7) in Makaraci, T - Can, I, Gaziantep 2025. After 8...Bd7, White chose 9 Be2 (we have seen 9 a4 in a few Archives games), intending Ne5. Black countered by 9...Bc6 10 0-0 Bd6
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Here 11 Ne5 has been usual, with equality following 11...Bxe5 12 dxe5 Qd5! 13 Qxd5 Nxd5. In the game, White chose 11 b3 0-0 12 Bb2?!, when Black could have claimed a small advantage with 12...Ne4!.
Rubinstein Variation 4...Nd7 5 Ngf3 Ngf6 6 Nxf6+ Nxf6 7 Bc4 [C10]
Leading grandmaster Andrey Esipenko used the Rubinstein this month in a couple of Blitz and Rapid games versus strong opponents. He won both games, not because of the opening, but the resulting positions out of the opening were challenging enough to create problems for both sides.
In Hansen, E - Esipenko, A, 2nd Thursday Dec 4 Chess.com 2025, White played the main line with 4...Nd7 5 Ngf3 Ngf6 6 Nxf6+ Nxf6 and now the relatively rare 7 Bc4:
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Esipenko played the natural 7...c5 8 0-0 cxd4, but after 9 Qe2, he chose 9...Be7?! 10 Rd1 and White got a lasting advantage that turned very serious. Better 9...Bc5. Also, 7...a6 with the idea ...b5 with tempo is a good solution.
Rubinstein 4...Nd7 5 Ngf3 Ngf6 6 Ng3 c5 7 Bd3 [C10]
In Pranav, V - Esipenko, A, 2nd Thursday Dec 4 Chess.com 2025. White avoided exchanges with 6 Ng3, a move that has been used a fair amount over the years, often by attacking players who want to keep the pieces on:
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Black played the natural 6...c5 (other moves are fully playable), and 7 Bd3 cxd4 8 Nxd4 followed. Instead of the natural 8...Bc5 (when 9 Nb3 Bd6 is the most interesting try), Esipenko chose 8...Nc5, which seems to hold up pretty well against all natural moves. A long, hard battle ensued.
Winawer 7 Qg4 cxd4 8 Bd3 [C18]
After 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 Ne7 7 Qg4 cxd4, 8 Bd3 Qc7 transposes to the more common 7...Qc7 8 Bd3 cxd4 (here 8...c4 is a popular option; see the Archives). Players who choose 7...cxd4 (instead of 7...Qc7) tend to play 8...Qa5 here, but 8...Qc7 is fine if you’re prepared for some unique theoretical lines. In Wang, T - Degenbaev, A, SPICE Cup Bellevue 2025, there followed 9 Ne2 dxc3 10 Qxg7 Rg8 11 Qxh7, and now, instead of the main line with 11...Qxe5, Black played the formerly popular 11...Nbc6!?:
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I suspect that neither player was completely familiar with this old move, which has been considered somewhat inferior. The game continued 12 f4!? Qb6 and Black should have come out with reasonable chances (12...Bd7 is also level). Starting over twenty years ago, 11...Nbc6 fell into disrepute due to 12 Bf4!, so I was curious what was the state of theory. In fact, the old lines previously considered bad for Black look fully playable when one puts the engine to work, so perhaps the line with 11...Nbc6 is worth investigating further.
Winawer 7 Qg4 cxd4 8 cxd4 Qc7 9 Bd2 [C18]
The move 7...cxd4 can also be answered by 8 cxd4, when Black normally plays 8...Qc7:
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The key position. I’ve given lengthy notes on 9 Ra2 and 9 Kd1 (perhaps the most interesting try for White), with Black maintaining at least equality.
I’ve used a game from a few months ago, Andreikin, D - Galchenko, M, Titled Tuesday September 23 2025, to illustrate the most popular move 9 Bd2 . After 9...Qxc2 10 Rc1, Black played 10...Qg6 and a fascinating game resulted with many typical themes, Nonetheless, 10...Qe4+ is a simpler solution that seems to leave Black a tad better.
Till next month, John
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