French Defence Vs Caro Kann

The French has a very undeserved reputation for being dubious, especially at the amateur level.

Amateurs very rarely play the critical variations; 3. e5 and even 3. exd5 are most commonly played, both of which offer no serious advantage (or none at all in the case of the exchange), and even when they do black has good chances to launch a counterattack of his own (using the open c-file, ... a6/... b5/... b4 (undermining white's center) or a timely ... f6 and using the open f-file). Black also has dangerous variations that the white side is often unaware of, like the Burn variation with ... gxf6; look at Petrosian's games, for example the one against Fischer in their 1971 match. (In that game Fischer avoided the most critical line with g3, because he knew the danger.)

Amateurs also like to say the light squared bishop is bad. On the other hand, in the QGD black had the same 'bad' bishop and no-one disagrees the QGD is a top tier defense. Good French players will also make that bishop work.

It's also remarkable how players often claim the Caro-Kann should be the preferred defense of the two and the French is still more played at EVERY level. Apparantly it's just a fine opening on the non-super GM level.

The French. The Caro-Kann just seems to be losing for black in every variation. Advance Variations and the bishop gets trapped at worst, traded at best, but often seems to just become a non-factor like the queenside knight. Breyer Variation in the style of the Reti Tennison Ballistic Missile Countergambit is very strong, and if they don't take the original gambit white's structure and activity are both still stronger. Advanced Panov seems like a better Scandinavian. Fantasy Variation is literally a fantasy. Exchange Variation is one of the best variations for black but it's still better for white. I think there's a reason that c6 is extremely rare outside of the Caro-Kann. Blocking knights, trading bishops for knights with no provocation, and wasting tempos in the early game go against the every opening principle in the book aside from "don't bring the queen out early", as your center control in the Caro-Kann usually isn't even that good as compensation.

Compare all this to the French, in which positions tend to be quite similar except the knight isn't blocked, the LSB is safer, and you haven't wasted a tempo with c6 and can play c5 directly, allowing for better queenside counterplay and center control.

I have to politely disagree. The Caro-Kann is much sturdier than you think. It might seem like black's pieces get in their own way, but if black knows what he's doing, the C-K does just fine.

Also, ...c6 is not extremely rare.

In both the Slav and the Semi-Slav, for example, the c6 pawn is quite important ...

And the Stonewall and Classical Dutch, and the Orthodox or Exchange QGD, and certain lines of the King's Indian, and the Pribyl, and certain lines of the Pirc, and the Philidor - the list is endless!

...c6 is not at all rare!

"The LSB is safer" ... it doesn't really matter how safe the LSB is if it can't do anything and just gets in the way, no?

It seems to me that the French just delays what to do with the LSB. In the Caro-Kann, black wants to take care of this LSB problem first. In the French, black usually puts this problem off until later. The LSB is still a problem in both structures... it's just a matter of when black decides to do something about it.

The LSB can be bad but in some positions, it can be quite powerful like in the Euwe System. However, sometimes the bishop can't go to d7 so unless you open up your queenside it will struggle to make an impact

I have contempt for the exchange French when I have the Black pieces and I play it when I have the White pieces.

I used to play it as White, so I know the layiness within but after having so-so results, I gave up on it and went classical with 3. Nc3. There's a lot more to deal with but the games are far more interesting. 

I played the French exclusively for 20 years, then switched to the Caro-Kann for another 20+. I wasn't getting playable positions against masters, they avoided the messy Winawer lines and played positionally.

Caro solely because of the exchange French. I loathe the exchange French with a passion. Exchange Caro is fine. 

Otherwise, the French. White has a lot more serious tries in the Caro, and the "improved French" is a phantom that rarely materializes on the board. 

Just played this Caro-Kann game a few minutes ago:

Perhaps not an "improved French" - but certainly a position, from the Caro-Kann, that French players would feel comfortable in.

have you explored this variation?

The french with a tempo down

Those people would be dopes.

The e6 move blocks in the bishop, so it is actually better than the typical advance french

So would the people that say the Caro is better than the French.

No, not so. There are other problems instead. I would take the position with e6 over the position without 101 times out of every 100.