Best French Defence Books

Jengaias, I did not say Uhlmann was a patzer. First, it would be hard to be Grandmaster at the same time...

As a matter of fact I started with "he was a grandmaster, he probably won a lot of games with great style" and then I simply added "but among all my books I think I don't have a single annoted game where he wins", underlining the feeling that I have only seen the game where he was on the wrong side in these books.

Besides, I specified in #22 "Maybe my interest in Polugaevski's games, or crushing victories that impressed me and that I memorised such as Vasiukov-Uhlmann gave me this false impression (the impression being that I have always seen Ulhmann's losses in my books, not that Uhlmann was a loser...)".

So I do know Uhlmann's value, and I was speaking about my perception of what was shown of him in my books collection.

No need to jump the gun, you better slow down on coffee. ;)

http://www.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/French-Defense-Volume-One-The-76p3829.htm

http://www.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/French-Defence-The-76p3907.htm

I came across a book today by a 2700 GM Nikita Vitiugov - The French Defense - A Complete Black Repertoire. I havent read it yet. Any comments on how is this book?

Perhaps giving V. Moskalenko's books a try is a good idea.

If you don't like studying "theoretical" books then:

for nothing but full games in several French systems then "Winning with the French" featuring Uhlmann's games is excellent and enjoyable. 

Some great players have used the French extensively. If you look at their best games collections in chronological order you'll get a good idea of how the French has evolved.  I'd start with Nimzovich, move on to Botvinnik and Korchnoy, and finish with Short.

Fischer despised the French Defence and thought it was unsound and anti-positional. Nevertheless he often struggled against it, at the time in his career when his games with the Ruy Lopez and the Sicilian seemed like forced wins for White.  Studying his games as White against the French would also be illuminating.

I was thinking of buying the 4th edition of the Watson book.  Could you say more about why you dislike this book, especially in comparison to the earlier three editions?

[Reposted due to formatting problems involving the block quote.]

"... [Play the French: 4th Edition by IM John Watson] is well beyond the level of most players rated below 1800, but for ambitious players, both those employing the French as black or playing 1 e4 should invest in this book without hesitation." - FM Carsten Hansen (2012)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627015516/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen163.pdf

Having played the French for 10 years before quitting it in 2007, I can tell you the best book on the French for someone who is not yet a seasoned French player is "Mastering The French With the Read and Play Method". It explains it based on pawn structures rather than reams of variations.

That and the "how much do you pay?" made my day. x)

I should read this thread with a popcorn box at arm length.

And I should get Popcorn ready for this thread, reading posts like your #7.

You don't "make" books.  You "write" them (and "publish" them)!  They may be flat like pancakes, but you still don't "make" books like you do pancakes!

He'll give you a shiny new Lincoln for each one, and NOT the car!  You can figure out what new Lincolns you'll get!

I was impressed with Tony Kosten's "Mastering the Nimzo-Indian: With the Read and Play Method" in the same series, which I found at a library.

Unfortunately both books are out of print. The Nimzo book has come down in price on Amazon but the French version is still pricey: $47 used, $237 new.

I'll have to keep an eye for a reasonable copy of the French book. Written by Neil McDonald, whom I also like.

If you can't find the Read and Play Method book, Everyman has just started a "First Steps" series, which appears to be geared toward first timers with an opening and explained at a lower rating level.

The first one in the series just came out, and guess what opening it is?  You guess it!  The French!

Here's the link for the book at USCF Sales.  You can also get this at Amazon, one of many chess specialty shops like Chess4Less, or the Everyman Publishing site itself.

http://www.uscfsales.com/catalog/product/view/id/16242/s/first-steps-the-french/category/137/

I have had a previous edition, I want to say the 3rd, but might have been the 2nd.  Either way, I wouldn't recommend any of them as a players "First Resource" on the French Defense.

After you have a solid foundation of the basics of the French Defense, like many that have never played it don't even know that outside maybe the Exchange Variation, Black's target is almost always d4, only then would I suggest Watson's book.  It's too theory-ridden for someone learning the French for the first time!

french exchange variation solve all problem.

I am going through the Aagaard book on holiday and find it good, well written and with different suggestions.

I am going through the Aagaard book on holiday and find it good, well written and with different suggestions.

"Winning with the French" by Uhlmann is useful. It is not a book explaining theoretical ideas or listing variations.  It is 60 games illustrating the kinds of position you can get into, and how to play them.

I have and found it very good, with some great attacking ideas. Some of the suggestions are rather lunatic but I really liked the approach of castling long in the advance variation and it has worked with some success during club play.