Fort Knox French

Supposedly this is the "Fort knox" variation of the French Defense which was first played by Capa in 1902.  Can anyone explain this variation to me and provide me with sample games/insights?  

And who named it Fort Knox?

You want him to tell you a few things before you say something useful?  You are not a chess professor mate, class is not in session.  It's bad form to try to go into someone's topic and try to take over by playing professor lol - help him out if you want but don't make him jump through hoops hanging on your every word.

haha yeah sorry, the truth is I'm a bit busy, but I did want to answer him. I'll delete the previous comment.

someone apologized on chess.com?  you're one of a kind, dear sir.  

I think Fort Knox Variation is after 5...Bc6 (white usually plays 5. Nf3).
The idea is that black takes extra time to develop the worst piece in the game: His light-squared bishop. Now he can always exchange it if he ever wants.
It's called the Fort Knox Variation because it's very hard for white to break this. 

We can see 3 main things from the pawn structure:
1. White has a space advantage.
2. Black's light squared bishop is blocked in.
3. Black has eliminated white's e pawn and so white cannot set up a cramping pawn chain with e5 which is often seen in the french.

The fort knox variation takes a radical approach to trying to solve black's issues:
After 5.Nf3, Bc6 black will seek to exchange his bad bishop for one of white's knights then aim to keep the position closed so that white cannot take advantage of his space advantage. 

I'll keep posting after this 

Firstly I will go through white's basic plans.

So obviously white's plan is simple: open up the centre to take adavntage of his space, lead in development and bishop pair.
In light of this, white usually plays c4 to seize more space and prepare d5. If this double exchange on d5 is allowed, white's light squared bishop will become more powerful as the a2-g8 and h1-a8 diagonals will now be open (notice this bishop has no enemy rival). 
Once the c4 advance has been played, the bishop can be used to attack b7 (if white wants to prepare a queenside attack) or it can pressure f7 to support a kingside attack.

Black's simple plan:
The immediate c6 will take control of the d5 square. This is very important as the d pawn shouldn't be allowed to advance. Once control of the d5 square has been attained. Black may now try to attack this pawn.
Note, that usually with this type of pawn structure, such as in the Caro Kann, the c5 break is usually good for black. However, here as there is no light squared bishop to protect the weak b7 pawn, this shouldn't be played. Black generally wants to neutralise all of white's threats without causing anyweaknesses. Any exchange of similar value will benefit black.

Sorry for the spamming, I hope some of this was useful. If you want I can post a few instructive games. 

Wow!  Thanks, guys.  Yeah, a few instructive ganes would be great. 

Yeah, I had been thinking that black can develop the bishop, chop off a knight, and he has the french without the bad bishop.  You guys get it a lot better than me though!

Do any of you play it regularly?  Does anyone?  Here's a thought: I see opening books on just the French Classical or just the French Advance and French Exchange and French Winawer but I've never seen a book dedicated just to the French Fort Knox.  Is there a reason for this?  Is it just not that popular, or maybe I'm honing my amazon.com search well enough?

Saw an idea recently with 5. c4, trying to get a bigger space advantage. I'm not really into the details, but 5. Nf3 is not the only way to play for white.

As far as I know, white simply gets a very small risk-free advantage. But wait for the new Larsen, to play that variation in must-win situations.

I think in general the Rubinstein centre (which arises after dxe4) is just seen as a drawing weapon, and I think there are just a few other drawing weapons which are very popular right now (namely the Berlin).

Most books dedicated to the French should go over the fort Knox variation.

I'll find a few games now

Most people don't play the fort knox because white is usually winning the bishop pair and has a pleasant edge.  However, it is a good blitz opening because often times people won't be able to find a good way to navigate the opening and too many pieces end up getting traded off.  Ultimately, I wouldn't play this opening in a long game as black does not really get many winning chances and the endings can be miserable due to white eventually getting the bishop pair as the Bc6 will eventually be traded off for a knight.  The only reason I would play this opening is if you are content with a draw and willing to take a worse position or alternatively if you want to make easy developing moves and flag your opponent in blitz.  

Neil McDonald's How to Play Against 1.e4 advocates the Fort Knox, and spends a good deal of time talking about themes and structures.  That, plus any book that discusses the Rubinstein pawn structure -- McDonald's Mastering the French comes to mind, but is rare -- will be more than enough to get you playing it at a decent level.

Well I didn't read any of the above posts but anyway if you said it tell me. There is a queen trap somewhere in this variation. Check it out.

Okay this game is from mastering the french. Most of the comments are coming from the book. All of the comments which are wrong, are mine.

The name "Fort Knox" was given by Andrew Martin, or so he says in a dvd about "secrets of grandmasters".

Have used the fort knox in one off games. It is quite useful for that because the ideas are quite simple to understand, and you can get developed easily. However, facing a prepared opponent likely to face a long evening of the opponent attempting to milk the bishop pair for no risk.

Objectively think the rubinstein proper with 4...nd7 is much better. It is a straightforward opening too, mostly playing c5 sucessfully. Just a few more specifics to learn.

cool

thanks chesscamper

Has ChessCamper posted here since 2013?