Below is a link to game recently played in the French as a starter to anyone who wants to add interesting games they play with the French.

http://www.chess.com/echess/game.html?id=41256944

James

what happened to our leader?

THE FRENCH DEFENSE

Best are the games of Victor Korchnoi, who played the French Defense 384 times.  He lost 72 of those games.  He played more games with the Tarrasch Variation than any other GM.

Next is Alexander Alekine who played a mean Exchange Variation with the White pieces, so was very prepared to meet the Exchange Variation as Black.  He (as the Black player) gives us some very good examples of playing against the Advance Variation.  As most know, he was a McClutchon player as well.

For those who prefer the French Winauer, Mikhail Bottvinik and Wolfgang Uhlmann were the leading experts.  All these GM games are found at Chessgames.com

Frank Marshall was a world renound attacking player (with a style much like Tal).  Marshall's " Immortal Game" against Livitsky in 1912 was a French Defense in which Marshall played Black.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1011744

An ancient game of Alekhine's in the French Exchange Variation (with Alekhine playing the Black pieces).

Thanks Billy.

James

The early games of Alexander Alekhine using the French Exchange Variation are the basis for my play with White.  Alekhine played both sides of it.

The Exchange Variation is often used against French players, as many chess players believe it simplifies their task in meeting the French Defense.  The games of Alexine add something to these positions.  Although his moves are incorporated in chess navigators and chess engines etc. his style of play shines through here, and those who play the French Defense can get more of "a feel" for the variation and an idea of Alekhine's style of play.  Early on he also played the exchange variation of the Ruy Lopez (or Spanish) opening (as did Fischer and Lasker to name two).  The exchange variations by White define the games.  

Alekhine was not playing for a draw.  His games with and against the French can be found on CHESSGAMES.COM.