Questions from a newcomer to the French

Arcturus_SS writes: Any variations or traps that you can utilize. I'm using the advance Euwe variation and the Rozman French Defense now and I'm not sure ifthere's anything I can change or improve on.

The Euwe variation against the advance, which goes 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7, is a large, complex, and solid line against the advance. Some writers even give it as 5...Bd7! Its purpose is to discourage white from playing the natural 6.Bd3 because of ...cxd5 7.cxd5 Qb6 when the d pawn is under attack because the position of the bishop blocks the white queen from defending it. 

Obviously, a strong line. But, the question is: Do you like the kind of middlegame positions that you get out of it? If you do, then stay with it. If you're looking for something sharper then play Qb6 at either move 4 or 5 with a somewhat more confrontational game. I have played both, but currently prefer 4...Qb6. As so often in the openings, it's a matter of taste.

I've been playing the French for a long time, but I'd never heard of the "Rozman French". So I looked it up and saw Levy Rozman's video on it. BTW, I enjoyed it very much. And, it's easy to understand its allure. It offers the potential of a sharp, imbalanced counterattack against 3.Nc3 or 3.Nd2. It seeks to grab the initiative from the beginning, and arms the newcomer with not only a plausible scheme of development, but with an aggressive middlegame plan.

It reminded me of something, but I couldn't think of it immediately. Then I remembered. In a fine book by Jonathan Edwards on his correspondence career, he mentions an opponent named Harold Stenzel , who developed his own off-beat system in the French and played it many hundreds of times. What it has in common with Rozman's system is the development scheme of ...dxe4, ...Nc6, ...b6, ...Bb7, ...Qd7, ...0-0-0. The only difference is that Stenzel delays the development of the g8 knight, with the idea of playing it to e7 in some lines.

For those who don't know what we're talking about, the Rozman French consists of 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3/d2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ gxf6 followed by the development and queenside castling scheme just mentioned. The Stenzel French omits 4...Nf6.

 A problem I have with the "Rozman" is that it requires white to be too cooperative. The first time I saw it I thought, what about 5.Bd3 or 5.Bg5 leading back to the mainline Rubinstein variations? Of course, Rozman may have another video explaining that, but I haven't seen it. Another problem is that it's strategically very narrow. It seems to have a one-size-fits-all approach to the middlegame, which is so different from the rich strategic complexity of the rest of the French. It's not a symphony but a jingle. 

However, if you're really a newcomer, then any plan is better than no plan. If it gives you confidence, then play it, just be prepared if white doesn't cooperate, and don't expect any magic bullets. 

The Euwe variation is very solid but also if White is not cooperative, Black's LSB still gets stuck behind his pawns for a long time.
I've tried the Rozman and it's a hybrid Burn / Katalymov Variation, it's interesting but more often than not, the black King is more in danger than White's and as you say, it's quite narrow and very different from the usual French structure.
Andrew Martin had a DVD on this variation in "Opening repertoire for busy players" (Rubinstein), although he presented a variation with ...Nd7 instead of ...Nc6.

the kind of that huge message.

Hello fellows, I am a newbie in French and I seem to like the style of Euwe variation where I activate the LS Bishop to Bd7. However, Bd7 appears to be a typical move in almost every game in the Advance Variation of the French. Could anyone please help me understand what is the signature move or what is the signature setup that is so specific to Bd7 in the Euwe Variation to make it particular to Euwe variation. I actually have a hard time seeing Bd7 in Euwe setup as particular to that variation as it is a move I see it played in almost every Advance French. I have tried the book by Cyrus Lakdawala "Opening Reportoire: French Defense" and other books but I could not find an answer to the logic behind Bd7 in the Euwe variation. Thank you folks for any pointers or help.

I think Bd7 to prepare for long castling just in case and defence... and maybe to manuver to e8-h5...

I dont like the euwe variation. I just like to play solid mainline that is Qb6.

Playing something other than the mainline is outlandish to me. Are you unhappy with the positions arising out of the mainlines?