Anybody else like 3...Be7 ? (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Be7) Supposedly, it's a good waiting move to see what White does, and it allows black to achieve a position he might not have been able to otherwise. Anyone play this line as Black? Thoughts on it?

Be7 is not so hot.  Immediately challenge White's center with either Nf6 or c5

KillaBeez wrote: Be7 is not so hot.  Immediately challenge White's center with either Nf6 or c5

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Actually chess assistant says 3....Be7 is scoring 48% where both 3....Nf6 & c5  are scoring 43% 

French falls for 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c4!?.

 

 

 

 

vj1 wrote:

French falls for 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c4!?.

 

 

 

 

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 this thread is about the french tarrasch. you've mentioned the advance. and the 4.c4!? doesn't look good/advantageous in any datase i can find. i checked 4: fritz 11, my collection of french games from the various training dvds, chessok.com, and shredder's opening db. curious how you'd continue that advance variation w/4.c4?

ivoryknight71 wrote: vj1 wrote:

French falls for 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c4!?.

 

 

 

 

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 this thread is about the french tarrasch. you've mentioned the advance. and the 4.c4!? doesn't look good/advantageous in any datase i can find. i checked 4: fritz 11, my collection of french games from the various training dvds, chessok.com, and shredder's opening db. curious how you'd continue that advance variation w/4.c4?

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1) 4. c4!? is risky and computers don't play risky.

2)The opening is relatively new among players. 

I was always interested about 3...Be7, it seemed that John Watson liked it in his Play the French 3rd ed. I don't know... I dont like the knight hemmed in on g8, although eg advance variation i play often Ng8 - h6 - f5 which could be used against ...e5 in this variation. Also, 3...Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 has got very theoretical. If i searched for a compromise I would go for 3...c5 with a sicilian type of advantage but with white having active pieces.

in the advance, how much does it bother you when white captures your knight on h6, giving you double rook-pawns? does it happen often? i've never had the guts to play that move, even though it's recommended by some french specialists. how long have you been playing the french? i've been playing it for 6 years, and i've learned i really don't like the winawer variation.

 

I've been playing for about the same, ivoryknight71. In the case of the advance with ...Nh6 (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.c3 Bd7 [I prefer my Queen to stay on d8] 6.Be2 Nh6) white sometimes is deterred with Nb1-a3-d2 because of ...cxd4 8.cxd4 Bxa3 (even though i would never play this.) In the case of Bxh6, I find that black moves gxh6 Bg7 0-0 f6 or similar balances the weak h pawns with quick play against d4. It has 14 wins for black and 7 for white with 5 draws in the biggest database i have. Oh and i dont play winawer, too many lines. I play Nf6 and have a quiet life lol. -sorry for going off topic a lil- the board is a nice game that shows how quickly black steamrolls if white isn't careful.

great game, shleena, thanks for posting. i guess that 26...rxg7 instead of hxg7 is to prevent white from cracking open the h-file?

and also, it doubles up on the g file and frees the bishop. ready for the nice sac on h4 :)

John Watson recommends it in play the french, but Ari Zeigler recommends Nf6 in his chessbase DVD, and thats what I play.

ericmittens wrote: John Watson recommends it in play the french, but Ari Zeigler recommends Nf6 in his chessbase DVD, and thats what I play.

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 i know. generally i follow zeigler's french dvd, but like you said, watson recommends 3...Be7. so i was trying to hear others' experiences w/it. guess i'll just have to play both for a while and see.