Wearing Them Down: How Initiative Broke the French Defense

Today, I’d like to share a game I played in the French Defense—this time with a small but helpful bit of preparation. In a previous game, I had fallen into one of Black’s tactical traps in this line, so I made a point to look it up afterward. While I didn’t dive too deeply into theory, I did remember one key computer-recommended move—and that turned out to be enough. With that move on the board, things started to go my way, and the game unfolded much more smoothly than before.

Immediately after the game, I had the impression that the win came down to a bit of luck—that my opponent simply slipped at the right moment. However, a closer look at the game told a different story. The analysis revealed that I held the initiative through most of the game, keeping up consistent dynamic pressure on Black's position. It wasn’t just a blunder—it was the result of gradually building tension that eventually caused the position to crack. A satisfying reminder that persistent activity can pay off, even if it doesn’t feel obvious in the moment.