French defense

Hey guys, ive been underperforming against the French defense, very high loss rate, id like to see what you all play against it, i personally go for the advance variaton, but it hasnt worked out well so far. I perform very well against all other openings, like sicilians etc. But the french seems to get me. So if you have any good lines to counter the french, id love to hear them

I have the same problem here buddy

Its just so solid

I've been playing the Tarrasch Variation against the French, and I've had quite a bit of success with it. Danya has great videos on his YouTube speedruns about it, so I would recommend trying it if you haven't already.

That looks insanely wild

How so? I think it's a great opening against the French. Are you not liking it so much?

because you block the bishop. Violates opening rules. But Bluebaum plays it, so why not try it. Danya has good videos you say?

Yeah, Danya's videos are really quite good.

I would argue that the Tarrasch blocks the LSB only temporarily; in most positions you route the knight to g3 via f1, a maneuver common in the Ruy Lopez. Also, in general it's a good idea to follow opening principles, but they are more like guidelines and shouldn't be treated as dogma. Certain positions can sometimes require moves that violate certain principles. I would also argue that the Tarrasch has a lot of potential energy, and the sudden change in momentum in most positions can be hard for opponents to deal with; I would highly recommend it. Hope this helps!

Winawer variation...

I was playing a cuban master who was tearing me up with the french. Went and studied a few lines and made him stop trying it against me anymore!

Also very similar to the Tarrasch. Intereting that either 3.nc3 or 3Nd2 are good

I struggled against french. I want to play aggressive and attacking chess but most common lines are more positional and french players are very happy to play them.

I played 2. b3 against french for awhile. Often kings end up castling opposite sides of the board and interesting battle arises.

But my current approach is Alapin gambit 3. Be3. If they accept the gambit I get quick development and excellent opportunities for King side attack. If they decline with Nf3 I push the e pawn followed by f4. Bishop is keeping my center protected and I have no issues developing my pieces. Those are the most common replies.

You are very close to my rating, so im guessing you have managed to win against 1600s with it too?

i just checked your history, You play Vienna and Sicilian? very very cool!! i also saw a 60% winrate against the caro kann, whats your line there?

As a player that has played the French as Black for 30 years over the board and about 50 to 75 times as White, I can safely say White has basically 2 choices - Advance and 3.Nc3. The Tarrasch and Exchange are completely equal with no problems for Black, and the gambits just don't work if Black knows what he's doing.

I play fantasy 3. f3. The Maróczy gambit line gives me a lot of wins. Bishop sack in f7 is very effective if black is not very careful.

The French is not the same as the Caro. After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.f3? c5, Black already has an advantage.

i respect your 2200 opinion, but chess rules kinda only apply to 2000+

Chess rules apply to everyone. Just because you are 1600 doesn't suddenly mean a rook can move diagonally.

As far as strategy and soundness, you may not face 2200s as a lowly 1400, but learning proper strategy and getting a proper understanding is vital as learning bad habits will do nothing but stunt your growth. It is like saying that simply because you are in 6th grade art class and you are not Michael Angelo means that you should paint-stroke back-and-forth rather than in one direction. Maybe try learning something from 2000+ players rather than either fighting them, or in your case, brushing them off!