French Defence: Most forcing line for white

I play 1. e4, so I want to expand my repertoire to play against the French but I don't want to learn loads of theory. What line can I play after the standard 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 that narrows down blacks responses the most? Thanks for any responses! 

Advance i guess

Yes, I think so too.

Although if you prefer quiet positions or positions where the centre is resolved then exchange

The exchange variation is definitely not forcing. It's an open position with tons of choices.

@Yigor what would you say is the most forcing? 

The advance variation 3. e5 fixing the pawn structure.

The Advance variation probably has the least number of lines to consider, but it's exactly the type of game Black wants.  That is, no one plays the French and says, "Gee, I hope White doesn't play the Advance."  It's pretty much exactly what Black wants, and usually the first line a Black player learns.

The Tarrasch variation, 3.Nd2, is probably a better try.  It's more theoretical, yes, but White often plays the same ideas and moves across the different lines.  Another option is the KIA with 2.d3 and 3.Nd2, aiming to play g3, Bg2, f4, Nf3 and 0-0 at some point.  This has less theory, is a serious system and, as a bonus, is not something the typical French player usually wants to face.

Those who play French like close positions. The exchange variation makes black most uncomfortable.

The exchange. Other things give Black options to attempt to change the pawn structure.

I had been playing the Advance Variation but noticed that after 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3:

A) 52% of the time (according to Opening Explorer) Black plays 3...Bb4, The Winawer variation and after 4 e5 we have an approximation of the Advance Variation where White wins 44% of the time 26% are drawn and 30% won by Black - a better than avg. result for White. Black then usually exchanges that Good Bishop for the N at c3.  White pays with doubled and isolated a and c pawns but gains tempos in aiming his pieces at the K-side.  White can do a lot on the dark squares where Black is now weak.

B) 39% of the time Black plays 3...Nf6.  Now White simply plays 4 e5, the French Defense, Classical Steinitz Variation, and White's effectively got the Advance Variation with a tempo in hand because 98% of the time Black plays the passive 4...Nfd7 - Black gets awful avg. results doing anything else yet even after 4 Nfd7, White wins and above-avg. 41% of the time with 30% draws and 29% wins by Black.

I have a current daily game where I'm very pleased with how the Steinitz Variation worked out but my opponent's still playing so I'm not going to post and discuss the particulars here. Of course, it's available for perusal on my profile page.

 The advance variation is forcing because although there are many different ideas that black can try, it fixes the pawn structure. I don't like the types of positions white gets, but I'm sure it is ok. The exchange is also relatively good if you want an open game, but it tends to be more drawish. Nc3 and Nd2 are what most masters are playing nowadays, they are probably the best responses but there is lots to learn and it is not very forcing.

I don't like the advance for cutting down choices because Black can choose from 4...Nc6, 4...Qb6, 4...b6, 4...Ne7 and 4...Bd7 and they do not have to transpose at all. When you get some understanding of the position it's a little easier to understand why Black might choose one of these moves over the other but White still has to put in the work. Otherwise it's easy to fall in some positional traps.

In the Exchange variation, Black might be not quite comfortable only because of rather drawish position (however, the White at once helps Black to comfortably solve both the problem of the pawn contest in the center and the problem of Black's light-squared bishop).

In the Advance variation, after the common moves 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6(!) - unlike Exchange variation - Black feels significantly more comfortable, because it's White who has to struggle to hold the position, to be lucky not to lose. It's just my personal impression after having practiced the French defense as Black for over 15 years. As for me, the position after 5.Nf3 Qb6 of the Advance variation is probably one of the most comfortable positions which the French players might dream of in the French defense.

And yes, @penandpaper0089 is right, the Advance variation is not that forcing for Black, and the Exchange variation does not look either ...

As for playing the French as White, with the time I came to the conclusion to play 3.Nc3, and by the way, in the Winawer variation 3.Nc3 Bb4 (which is my favorite to play as Black), along with the usual 4.e5, I am fond and have been working on 4.a3!? (and by the way this line looks to some degree forcing).

The only thing I would say is that the White, if he wants to play forcing lines against the French defense, at first has to decide which of the four variations is to his taste - (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5) - 3.Nd2, 3.Nc3, 3.e5 or 3.ed, and only then to look for one or several forced lines. But there are also deviations fro White, such as 2.Qe2, 2.Nf3 d5 3.e5 c5 4.b4, 2.d3, even 2.b3 etc. to look at, not only restricting the choice with the standard position after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5. In any case - tastes (and styles of play!) do differ.

So white forces black to attack its advanced pawn structure.

"Forcing" variation might be the one where there are not many paths of good ("quite playable") ways. @Optimissed, you are right, when we speak about some forced line we usually mean very narrow choice of good moves (or - possible moves, or the moves which do not lead to significant deterioration of one's position).

There are definitely no forcing lines in French in this strict sense of the word.

In the Advanced variation, White has not so wide choice of paths to maintain the equilibrium, I mean the position after 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6, especially in case of 6.Be2 or 6.Bd3

It's not so easy to say for sure - to answer the question of this forum, and in general at all - which lines are "more forced" or "less forced". Maybe relatively only