Hello, many players don't like to play against the French Defense because of its closed and sometimes boring nature. I would like to share a 3-minute game I just played here on chess.com, which shows a nice move 9.Nbd2!? (''Misa Pap attack'') to create complications early on in the game. Please let me know what you think of this interesting opening variation and your good/bad experiences with it!
Beating French with Advance variation
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A more practical response by black is 10...Bb5 aiming to get rid of the bad bishop. Then 11Be3 Qa6 12BxBch QxB 13Nc3 Qd7. When white has compensation but probably not much more.
BTW I agree it is the most dangerous way of white playing the gambit.
Twomove, 10...Bb5 is indeed more solid (although I feel the Bc5 line is at least as good, just very complicated to handle; taking with Qxb4 is better) but 13.Rc1 had been quite succesfull so far; 13...Qd7 is practically forced anyway (if the rook is allowed to land on c7 black is in trouble) and white follows up with Nd4-Qe2 (threatening Nb5) followed by doubling rooks on the c file. I think black can equalize even here but he has to find a precise continuation.
I can't resist the temptation of showing one of my games in this line: It's not very significant theoretically, but I think it illustrates the dangers black faces in the other main line (9...Nc6, aiming to win the e5 pawn as well). It was the first and only time I played with a fide 2200+ player in my life; It's not a very convincing win since the position was just unclear before my opponent blundered with O-O-O??, but I was still very happy with the final result :)
My mistake I meant 13Nd4 Qd7 and then after 14Rc1 arrive at same position. After 14...Ne7 15Qe2 I don't see why 15...a6 is necessary and why doesn't play 15...Nc6 which is played in similar position after 15Qd3.
9...Ne7 is another possibility, maybe more ambitious for black.
I am thinking of learning the french defence as a way of combating the F7 assault that i notice happens alot at my (very beginner) level,eg the bishops opening etc. Would this be a good opening to learn?
Who said French Defence is boring? I think taht guy has NO IDEA about what the French (or chess in general) is