Advanced french

It's indeed Qb6 or Bd7, other options seem to be suboptimal. In my last game with this opening I played Qb6.

So which will you recommend? Qb6 or Bd7?

I played the French in OTB tournaments for many years. I usually played 4 ...Qb6 instead of the usual move order (which would be playing it in your position) for several reasons:

1. The Q is best placed there anyway
2.  Many White players will be confused or distracted by the odd move order
3.  It retains the option of 5 ...Bd7 & a later ...Bb5 to trade Bs
4.  The feint a b2 sometimes induces Qside weakening like a2-a4 or b2-b3

The closed center formation slows things down, so Black can afford this more flexible move order. He can always transpose back to the main lines with 6 ... Nc6 if he prefers. At the very least, most White players will have to spend a little more time on the less usual order.

After 4 ...Nc6, 5 ... Bd7 is not good even though it usually transposes into main lines. White had no threat, once the Nc6 is there Black has no ...Bd7-b5 possibility, so ...Bd7 has no advantage to it & no threat either.  5...Qb6 should be played. If you will almost surely play two moves, play the move which poses the opponent more direct problems first. Even if all you gain is a few extra ticks he must spend thinking, it's a tiny plus. They can add up!

Qb6, it looks more aggressive.

Both moves are good!  Bd7 is a little harder to play with less straightforward play so Qb6 is better for most players.

Thank you all for your responses!

Notice that you can even play ...Bd7 or ...Qb6 sooner instead of ...Nc6. The idea of playing ...Bd7 is not linked only to the idea ...Bd7-b5 (to exchange it against lisght-squared bishop), it also may be a waiting move to know where to put your Queen according to White's move.

It depends mostly on your repertoire choices. For instance, there is a line in my repertoire where I prefer playing ...Qc7 and putting pressure on e5 (instead of ...Qb6 putting pressure on d4 (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Bd7 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.a3 f6 7.Bd3 Qc7).

Wow, such an awfully deep and advanced comment.

Your QB is better off at f5 or g4.  Of course, that means playing the Caro-Kann!  Of course, the trade-off is that it takes you 2 moves to get a Pawn on c5!

Is that why most of the time the bishop has to make 3 moves just to get to a reasonable square in h5? Idunno man...

Meanwhile sure the bishop can be attacked on f5 but it's not like it's free. White does have to maul his kingside just to do it. The problem with the Navara game was this early ...Ne7 move so yeah I guess you need to be careful when your bishop is on f5 lol.

The point DeirdreSkye was making was that the Bishop is already on a reasonable square in d7 as it defends the backwards e6 pawn in the e6/d5 pawn structure that predominates in French positions. Thus it is not necessarily the problem Bishop that some people like to make out.

I agree the "bad" Bishop is usually a bad rap - I just don't like playing ...Bd7 so early if a more active move is available.

Remember, whether the pawn structure is the typical pawn chain d4.e5 v d5,e6 or the backward dissolved formation d4 w/no e-pawn v d5,e6 w/no f-pawn, Black will try to enforce ...e6-e5 at the earliest opportunity. Once this happens, the Bd7 suddenly becomes very active. It also has potential in the e8-a4 diagonal in many lines, both offensively & defensively.

The French is a counterattacking defense, and to get such chances as Black entails allowing White some leeway. And White's natural superiority in the French is on the Kingside, and quicker to develop than Black's play against the pawn center & on the Queenside. So it entails some risk.

The Caro-Kann, conversely, seeks an early equalizing of chances if possible. Not that Black hasn't chances to play actively in the Caro; he gets a relatively quick development out of it, but much depends on how White proceeds. It mainly boils down to what a player feels most comfortable & confident playing. French players tend to be a breed apart, experience playing the pawn structures requires an opportunistic patience, if that makes any sense.

Yes, I never hear King's Indian kibitzers talking about Black's bad bishop at g7!