French Defense
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Aug 9, 2025
0
#2
The French has a move than what you want amount of theory, but if you want to lessen it then there is a shorter and easier line. You have to be careful of the greek gift.
Aug 9, 2025
0
#3
Advantages of the french:
- hard for white to avoid / even useful against d4
- in some of the lines, like the Winawer, black gets alot of activity
- there are very few lines against it that are novel that maintain much advantage for white. White pretty much has to play theory if he wants to challenge it. Which means, as black, your opening is very easy to prepare
Disadvantages:
- lines like the exchange and advanced are very boring
- there's also not alot of room for black to deviate from theory
- if white does play the theoretical lines, especially those after 3. Nc3, he can get a very good position consistently. The winawer is the only real challenge here. Black gets good activity and the position will be very familiar to him, but there are also good ways of white avoiding it or mixing it up.
Overall it's a good line. If I were black I'd play the open system against the Tarrasch. Combined with the winawer it's a good repertoire, just boring and predictable.
"Hello everyone! I was wondering how many of you here play the French Defense as Black? What advantages and risks do you see in it from your own perspective? Thank you!"