French Advance - 5... Qb6 or 5... Bd7?

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CNoahSay
verylate wrote:

I like 5...Bd7, but the line that has given me trouble is 5...Bd7 6.Be2 f6(!? or ?! - I don't know, but 6...Qc7 ran into 7.0-0 f6 8.Bf4 Nge7 9.Bg3 Nf5 10.exf6 Nxg3 11.f7+ when suddenly I didn't like my position much) 7.0-0 fxe5 8.Nxe5 Nxe5 9.dxe5 Qc7 10.c4(!)Qxe5 (once you say "A", you have to say "B") 11.Bh5+ (11.cxd5 0-0-0 and black is not unhappy)...g6 12.Bf3 and white is doing well. I'm still looking for a fix in these lines

 

Simon Williams mentions your line and for black's 10th move he lists 4 moves advising on 10...d5 and stating that 10...Qxe5 is more critical but....

Here is a game:

 

Anyway who has this moskalenko book? Going4grandmaster apparently isn't replying to the want for a quote.

kingsrook11
dumpstertrash wrote:
Sorry. I just meant Be2 instead of c2. If you give me a check I can just go Kf1 with a possibility of a g4 kg2

 

1 e4 e6 2d4 d5 3e5 3c5 4c3 Nc6 5Nf3 Qb6 6 Bd3 cxd4 7 cxd4 Bd7 8Be2 and you have wasted a tempo and let me equalise easily as 7Bd7 is often a move that Black plays anyway. It is far better to play the 6 a3 line as that causes Black far more problems than 6 Bd3.

jatait47

both: 4...Qb6 5 Nf3 Bd7, intending 6...Bb5 Smile

Seegurke

I play 5.Qb6, but Bd7 is playable, too. As pfren pointed out, its a matter of taste, so i suggest you try both and choose the one you like better. Bd7 seems safer to me though.

I cant find Moskalenko saying Bd7 was wrong. In "The flexible French" He just states in game 1: "5. ... Qb6! The pressure on d4 does not allow White to continue calmly." (p.13)

Watson sais in PTF 4: "5. ... This is the traditional and most direct move, putting pressure on d4". I think its true and thats why i play Qb6, not Bd7. But both are ok!

If you like Bd7, perhaps try 4.c3 Bd7!?, as in Langrock, "French Defense": "the System i recommend for Black is quite rare and it has brought me good results : 4. ... Bd7 5.Sf3 a6!?"

going4grandmaster

Sorry about not replying earlier; I've been a bit inactive lately.

Moskalenko doesn't cover ...Bd7 in 'The Flexible French', however he does so in his revision of it, 'The Even More Flexible French'.

He gives Grischuk-Ivanchuk 2011 (http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1634572) as his example.

 

Some quotes:

'GM Vasily Ivanchuk has been recognized as maybe the best theoretical player of all time - and in all possible openings - but he still needs more knowledge, strategic as well as tactical, of the French Defence.' (Prior to this game, in which Ivanchuk played 5...Bd7)

'Black plays slowly, not applying the dynamic idea of the opening: the direct attack on d4!'

'The early development of the c8-bishop is probably a waste of time, since it allows White to castle and develop an initiative.'

ThrillerFan

I quit playing both and play Langrock's recommendation.  4...Bd7 and 5...a6 (Not to be confused with the wade variation, 4...Qb6 and 5...Bd7, which I think is worse for Black than the 2 main responses.

 

I actually play the Advance Variation from both sides.