Videos in suggested study order (quick/easy to advanced).

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10 minute Introduction by IM Rozman

Key Points:

- White plays 3.e5 for Advance variation
- In the Advance variation Black should play 3...c5 and 4.c3 is the most common response
- 6.Bd3 followed by 6...cxd4 7.cxd4 Nxd4 8.Nxd4 Qxd4? gives White a discovered check Bb5+ which wins the Queen Qxd4
- Black knight wants to get to the f5 square
- In the exchange variation, Black often wants to play Nd7 to shield the king from check and connect with the other knight on Nf6

20 minute introduction by Hanging Pawns

The opening starts (ECO codes C00-C19) after the moves: 1.e4 e6 – This is now the French. The second move is almost forced for both sides:

2.d4 d5 (white has been known to avoid the move 2.d4 with 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2, which will most likely transpose into the King’s Indian Attack, but d4 is played in over 95% of games starting with 1.e4 e6)

From this position on white has four main ways to continue:

06:54 3.Nc3 Paulsen Variation C10 Black can respond to the Paulsen French with:

07:21 3...Bb4 Winawer C15 (this one of the most popular variations of the French Defense, especially thanks to the Soviet school of chess which helped develop the theory in the 1940es)

10:04 3...Nf6 Classical C11 4.Bg5 Burn Variation C11 4.e5 Steinitz Variation C11

12:17 3...dxe4 Rubinstein Variation C10

13:00 3...Nc6 (continuing the Paulsen) C10

13:40 3.Nd2 Tarrasch Variation C03 (the Tarrasch became popular in the 70-es and 80-es thanks mainly to Anatoly Karpov who would use it more often than any other variation) 3...Nf6 Closed Variation C05

17:28 3...c5 Tarrasch Open System C07 3...dxe4 (continuing the Tarrasch) C03

18:59 3.e5 Advance Variation C02

19:39 3.exd5 Exchange Variation C01 If you’d like to study the French Defense, the best way to do so is to study the players who use it against e4. Among the first to employ the opening was the great Géza Maróczy (whom the Maróczy bind was named after). The theory was developed in the 20th century and some of the biggest contributors were Mikhail Botvinnik, Viktor Korchnoi, Aaron Nimzowitsch, Tigran Petrosian and Anatoly Karpov. Their games should be studied in order to understand the principles of the French.

18 minutes on the Exchange variation

The exchange variation is an easy way for White to get away from a lot of French Opening theory. It is slightly better for White as White has one tempo over Black, but has a reputation for boring chess games that often result in a draw.

26 minutes on Steinitz variation

Easy Wins with the Steinitz variation by Jonathan Schrantz (7 mins. Two 2300 level blitz games that win for Black)

23 minute on Paulsen variation

23 minutes on the Advance Variation

37 minutes on Advance Variation by IM Ostrovskiy

14 minutes on Rubinstein Variation

23 minutes on Winawer Variation

28 minutes on Winawer Variation by IM Ostrovskiy

42 minutes on Winawer variation by GM Akobian

30 minutes on Tarrasch Variation

Tactics in the Tarrasch French - Tomic (1851 ELO) vs Spilek (1660 ELO)Burn and McCutcheon variations