Advance Variation:
French Defense
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The French is considered a little passive for Black when compared to the Sicilian or Open Game, but it is a fighting opening--rather, Black is fighting for long term positional advantages, as opposed to immediate tactical lines and attacking chances, so his early game can look a bit defensive.
There are so many examples of the French, it's ridiculous. Just do some research.
Basically, White usually chooses at some point to advance e4-e5, giving him a central space advantage. Black almost always targets the d4 pawn, and once this is captured, the e5 pawn. If he is successful, Black is left with a powerful centre while White has none.
It is very important, as White, not to fall into the trap of simply defending d4 for dear life. It's probably best to play for maximum piece activity. I recommend looking at the Tarrasch variation in particular as White. It involves a pawn sacrifice but White has beautiful development and attacking chances.
Try using the opening explorer. I myself like the French, very solid opening. With white I personally prefer 3. Nc3 or Nd2 instead of 3. e5 ... See what works for you and stick to it, but use the game explorer to see what are the best variations for white...
Blunt_Force_Trauma, by no means is the french a passive opening. Look at this line:
Blunt_Force_Trauma wrote:
The French is considered a little passive for Black when compared to the Sicilian or Open Game, but it is a fighting opening--rather, Black is fighting for long term positional advantages, as opposed to immediate tactical lines and attacking chances, so his early game can look a bit defensive.
There are so many examples of the French, it's ridiculous. Just do some research.
Basically, White usually chooses at some point to advance e4-e5, giving him a central space advantage. Black almost always targets the d4 pawn, and once this is captured, the e5 pawn. If he is successful, Black is left with a powerful centre while White has none.
It is very important, as White, not to fall into the trap of simply defending d4 for dear life. It's probably best to play for maximum piece activity. I recommend looking at the Tarrasch variation in particular as White. It involves a pawn sacrifice but White has beautiful development and attacking chances.
By pawn sacrifice I presume you are referrring to the Korchnoi gambit.
This depends on Black playing 3Nf6 when in fact they are probably just as likely to respond 3c5. It also depends on White playing 7Qb6. Personally, I play another popular move 7g6 (a good alternative is 7Be7).
I also play the Tarrasch as White when I prefer to enter the main lines in response to 3Nf6.
another possibility against the taraschh is 3..Be7!?:
Robert0905 wrote:
another possibility against the taraschh is 3..Be7!?
6.Qe2 is the best move in that line.
yes, I forgot.
When I was less experienced the french gave me problems. Yet when I tried it I would get destroyed.
Closer to the present I cant really see where blacks chances lie. It just seems that if white knows what he is doing in either 3. Nc3 or 3. Nd2 he gets more play then against 1. e4 e5, 1. e4 c6 or 1. e4 c5 sure black has a sound endgame structure but reaching the endgame without a disadvantage seems tough to me.
Another point is the french gives white the potion to play 2 dxe.
I would like to hear from exponents of the french. I guess the point can be made that the attack on d4 can be unsettling for white players. But it strikes me as a short term and practical advantage for playing it rather than objectively being that great.
I have been trying out new openings and gave the french a shot. I was demolished by the Nc3 variation. one day latter against the same opponent I tried the sicilian sveshnikov another opening that I do not know in the least. I won a pawn and by move 20 my opponets position was quite difficult.
JGambit: the french is not for everybody. It has subtle positional details, and can also be tactical. Question: did you know the theory, or were you just trying it out?
How to play (against) the French is a question that's been the subject of countless books, articles, videos, discussions and so on. I just wonder what sort of answer you were expecting in a couple of sentences from the dudes that inhabit these forums? Not being harsh, just realistic - you can't expect a meaningful summary in such limited space.
The fact that one guy even says "I can't really see where Black's chances lie" (and then goes on to make a ludicrously superficial summary of other openings) just about says it all.
And no, I don't usually play the French.
JamesColeman wrote:
How to play (against) the French is a question that's been the subject of countless books, articles, videos, discussions and so on. I just wonder what sort of answer you were expecting in a couple of sentences from the dudes that inhabit these forums? Not being harsh, just realistic - you can't expect a meaningful summary in such limited space.
The fact that one guy even says "I can't really see where Black's chances lie" (and then goes on to make a ludicrously superficial summary of other openings) just about says it all.
And no, I don't usually play the French.
I thought the OP was just starting a conversation where people could put forward their favourite lines.
JamesColeman, read the first comment.It all amounts to what repca3161 says.
JGambit wrote:
When I was less experienced the french gave me problems. Yet when I tried it I would get destroyed.
Closer to the present I cant really see where blacks chances lie. It just seems that if white knows what he is doing in either 3. Nc3 or 3. Nd2 he gets more play then against 1. e4 e5, 1. e4 c6 or 1. e4 c5 sure black has a sound endgame structure but reaching the endgame without a disadvantage seems tough to me.
Another point is the french gives white the potion to play 2 dxe.
I would like to hear from exponents of the french. I guess the point can be made that the attack on d4 can be unsettling for white players. But it strikes me as a short term and practical advantage for playing it rather than objectively being that great.
I have been trying out new openings and gave the french a shot. I was demolished by the Nc3 variation. one day latter against the same opponent I tried the sicilian sveshnikov another opening that I do not know in the least. I won a pawn and by move 20 my opponets position was quite difficult.
Now further into the future I see why people play the french. Very sound opening, turns out it is the third most popular defense to e4 for a reason.
WillResignForBeer wrote:
How to play (against) the French is a question that's been the subject of countless books, articles, videos, discussions and so on. I just wonder what sort of answer you were expecting in a couple of sentences from the dudes that inhabit these forums? Not being harsh, just realistic - you can't expect a meaningful summary in such limited space.
The fact that one guy even says "I can't really see where Black's chances lie" (and then goes on to make a ludicrously superficial summary of other openings) just about says it all.
And no, I don't usually play the French.
In his reply to JamesColeman, repac3161 seems to also have addressed your question. If you do not play the french, then why post in this forum?
The opening 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 is classified as the french defense. But how to play it? How to play against it? any ideas?