Advance Variation, Kupreichik Variation

The Kupreichik Variation departs from the usual 5. Nf3 of the Advance French with 5. Be3, which defends d4 directly with the dark-squared bishop and keeps the f-pawn and g1-knight flexible. It is seldom seen; most White players prefer the knight move, and the bishop development appears in comparatively few games. The drawback is the one the main lines are built around. The bishop on e3 lies on the g1-a7 diagonal, where a black queen on b6 can confront it, and moving it to e3 leaves b2 without the protection of the dark-squared bishop.

Black's most common answer, chosen in about half of the games, is 5...Qb6, striking at b2 and adding pressure to d4 at once. The exchange 5...cxd4 settles the central tension early, and 5...Bd7 is a quieter developing move that keeps options open. The engine regards the position as roughly balanced, and in online play Black scores slightly better than White, particularly after 5...Qb6 and 5...Bd7.