Giri talks a bit about this structure in his chessable course on the french. He recommends that black plant his light squared bishop on e6 and then possibly advance on the k-side with h6-g5. While it is true white can play h4 after h6, if black plays their bishop to e7 he can still play g5. Also, an exchange on g5 would open up the h file for black's rook. Sometimes, black can even sacrifice on the k-side to open up lines since white's king is already there.
Who's better in this line?
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This position seems fairly equal to me. Often times after this trade on f5, Black (temporarily) treats the LSB like a pawn, and plays Be6. f4 is a nice outpost square for White, but d4 is still weak, and Black can get some initiative attacking it and expanding on the Queenside. I still think Qb6 is better because it puts immediate pressure on d4 and makes development uncomfortable for White.
May 1, 2021
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#4
chamo2074 wrote:
So I've always played 5...Bd7 in the advance french instead of 5...Qb6 despite Qb6 is considered slightly better because it's quicker and more active as white is able to comfortably castle in the Bd7 line. Now, Bd7 has lots of wild lines and traps, to show how easily white can slip up in the french. Now anyway I have this book you all know I got cause this is my third thread about it, it said that the structure with Bd3 Nf5 Bxf5 exf5 is better for white, now the engine (at low depth for me) says black already equalized and might even claim an equal advantage. From a human stand point though?
Evaluating this position white has more space, the pawn structure seems interesting, as white has a weakness on d4 (but the problems are kind of solved by removing the active knight, at the cost of the active bishop, however). Black has doubled pawns but also not really winnable. They don't give black anything positive though as the e-file is useless and probably more useful for white down the line, with maybe e6 pawn break.
In terms of bishops black has the bishop pair and white is left with his bad DSB, due to trading the LSB for the active knight as mentioned above.
In terms of available squares/outpost, the f4 square is available, and well a knight maneuver there can be pretty deadly. And black cannot prevent it because if h6 (g5) h4!.
So the question is, who is better? Which advantage is more considerable?
Qb6 is better
So I've always played 5...Bd7 in the advance french instead of 5...Qb6 despite Qb6 is considered slightly better because it's quicker and more active as white is able to comfortably castle in the Bd7 line. Now, Bd7 has lots of wild lines and traps, to show how easily white can slip up in the french. Now anyway I have this book you all know I got cause this is my third thread about it, it said that the structure with Bd3 Nf5 Bxf5 exf5 is better for white, now the engine (at low depth for me) says black already equalized and might even claim an equal advantage. From a human stand point though?
Evaluating this position white has more space, the pawn structure seems interesting, as white has a weakness on d4 (but the problems are kind of solved by removing the active knight, at the cost of the active bishop, however). Black has doubled pawns but also not really winnable. They don't give black anything positive though as the e-file is useless and probably more useful for white down the line, with maybe e6 pawn break.
In terms of bishops black has the bishop pair and white is left with his bad DSB, due to trading the LSB for the active knight as mentioned above.
In terms of available squares/outpost, the f4 square is available, and well a knight maneuver there can be pretty deadly. And black cannot prevent it because if h6 (g5) h4!.
So the question is, who is better? Which advantage is more considerable?