[Event "French Mac McCutcheon: Alternatives at 7..."] [White "French MacCutcheon"] [Black "4....,Bb4"] [Result "*"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C12"] [Opening "French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Janowski Variation"] [StudyName "French Mac McCutcheon"] [ChapterName "Alternatives at 7..."] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/rZO3ab0D/BWrDoVpD"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/SoftwareChess"] [UTCDate "2019.01.24"] [UTCTime "09:08:27"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 { This is a sharp variation that produces positions closer to the Winaver line. } 5. e5 { This is the main line: white accepts weak pawns in c2-c3 in order to weaken the dark squares on the kingside. } (5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Bxf6 gxf6) (5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 dxe4 7. Qe2 Qd5 8. Bxf6 gxf6) (5. Ne2 dxe4 6. a3 Be7 7. Bxf6 Bxf6 8. Nxe4 O-O 9. Qd3 b6) 5... h6 6. Be3!? { This is an interesting possibility. White's idea is to play against the knight e4 which lacks of square. The play is now characterized by a wild fight in the first moves. White will often ends up with weak pawns in c5 and e5, and will try to get the initiative while black tries to capture them. I decide to make it my favorite variation, because the lines with Bd2 often become too schematic, with fixed pawn structure and easy play for black. } (6. exf6 hxg5 7. fxg7 Rg8 8. h4 gxh4 9. Qg4 Qf6 10. Nf3 Rxg7 11. Qxh4 Qxh4 12. Rxh4 $10) 6... Ne4 7. Qg4 (7. a3 Nxc3 8. Qg4 (8. Qd2?! Ba5! $17) 8... Bf8 9. bxc3 c5 10. dxc5 Nc6 11. Nf3 Qa5 12. Bd2 Bd7 13. Bd3 Qxc5 14. O-O Na5) 7... Nxc3 (7... Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 g6 9. Bd3 Nxc3 10. Nf3 { transposes to the main line, except that white has saved a tempo for a3. } 10... Bd7 (10... c5 11. dxc5 Qa5 (11... Nc6 12. O-O $16) 12. O-O $16) 11. O-O Bb5 12. Rfe1 Bxd3 13. cxd3 $14) (7... g5 8. Ne2 (8. h4 c5 9. hxg5 Nc6 10. Rxh6 Rf8) 8... h5 (8... c5 9. O-O-O Bxc3 10. Nxc3 Nxc3 11. bxc3 Qa5 (11... cxd4 12. cxd4 Nc6 13. h4 Qa5 14. hxg5 Bd7 15. g6 fxg6 16. Qxg6+ Kd8 17. Rxh6) 12. h4 Qxc3 13. hxg5 Nc6 14. Rxh6 Rf8 15. g6 cxd4 16. gxf7+ Kd8 17. Bxd4 Nxd4 18. Qxd4 Qxd4 19. Rxd4 Rxf7) 9. Qf3 g4 10. Qf4 Nxc3 11. Nxc3 Bf8 12. h3 $16) 8. Qxg7 Rf8 (8... Ne4+ 9. c3 Nxc3 10. Qxh8+ Kd7 11. Qxd8+ Kxd8 12. a3 (12. Bd2) 12... Ba5 13. Bd2) 9. Bd2 *