Yes - That's why you take back with the pawn, and thank White for giving you a free half a point. It's a very simple draw for Black.
If you are in a "Must Win" situation with Black, the French ain't the best answer for this exact reason. 3.exd5.
french defense what if e4 x d5?
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so the suggested move is to still play d5 and then if white captures take back with the queen?
No, take back with the "pawn" please.
got it
The exchange line with 3...exd5 makes the game very drawish, but there are ways to play for a win (one thing I know is to use rooks to support pawn breaks rather than placing them on the e-file where they just trade off). I personally don't like those positions, so I play 3...Qxd5. This gives white back the advantage, but it doesn't give him the large lead in development as you can play 4.Nc4 Bb4.
I play 2. Qe2 and then get coffee while black debates playing d5 at all.
I think 3...Qxd5 is just a bad Scandinavian with the bishop stuck on c8. White just moves the kingside pieces first and plays Nc3 after castling to avoid Bb4.
Feb 18, 2014
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#9
No, recapture on d5 with the pawn, of course.
Then just develop normally. Only make sure you put your pawn on c6, not your knight, and your will have a nice solid setup.
After asking this question almost a few weeks ago now, I still have not had 1 player take the exchange. however, i have had pretty good success with this defense. My biggest issue is getting rid of the white pawn on e5 in the advance variation. although i've been winning, my knight is pinned to the back file and whenever i play Nh6 the bishop comes down to trade knowing that I'm double stacked and can't castle kingside.
what is the recommended line to deal with the white pawn on e5?
Mar 7, 2014
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#12
Typically f6 pawn break is used, that or f5 either one works, winning the d4 pawn is also a good plan
Mar 7, 2014
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#13
you can play the french exchange for a win for both sides. Personally a few years ago I played it as white. As black, check out the game (i believe) Short-M. Gurevich. Gurevich was in a must win situation to get into the qualifiying final with a score of +3. Of course, all the players with +4 took draws with each other, securing the qualification to the PCA thingy. M. Gurevich had only +3, while Short had +4. So he played the french exchange, and got a draw, right? Not really. It's a facinating game of Gurevich's part and amazing endgames.
the french exchange variation isn't neccessarly a draw, its a theoretical draw right, but the game still can get messy.
For the advance variation: as jetfighter13 said, f6 attacking the pawn chain from the head is common (not sure about f5, though - it just looks like a target for their kingside attack if they don't play en passant). As for the king's knight, it heads for f5 to try for more pressure on d4 before resorting to f6. After Nh6 Bxh6, black can use the g-file for a kingside attack. The knight can also go Ne7, blocking in the bishop for a turn but avoiding the doubled pawns.
Mar 7, 2014
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#16
tduncan wrote:
For the advance variation: as jetfighter13 said, f6 attacking the pawn chain from the head is common (not sure about f5, though - it just looks like a target for their kingside attack if they don't play en passant). As for the king's knight, it heads for f5 to try for more pressure on d4 before resorting to f6. After Nh6 Bxh6, black can use the g-file for a kingside attack. The knight can also go Ne7, blocking in the bishop for a turn but avoiding the doubled pawns.
I said f5 because I've seen it played, I actually dont play the French, I'm a Sicilian guy,but as an e4 player I occasionally face it
Aug 2, 2015
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#17
pfren wrote:
After 3.ed5 ed5, we have a typical pretty equal and symmetric, rather easy to handle position, where the better player wins.
Those who say "it's a draw" are simply clueless.
No one is calling this a draw. I think the point is that the Exchange removes all of the imbalances and makes it very hard to get a win in the game as a result. The probability of the draw has just gone way up and playing percentage chess like this (vs. the higher rated player) is a hard thing to overcome. I would rather have the imbalance of the Sicilian.
Shalarian wrote:
No one is calling this a draw. I think the point is that the Exchange removes all of the imbalances and makes it very hard to get a win in the game as a result. The probability of the draw has just gone way up and playing percentage chess like this (vs. the higher rated player) is a hard thing to overcome. I would rather have the imbalance of the Sicilian.
Actually I do not believe you are 100% correct.
The pawns may be symmetrical.
However, The game can still have alot of imbalances in it.
Different pawn structure is one way to create an imbalance. Yet it is not the only way.
Furthermore, The exchange variation may reduce alot of pressure on the black position which normally does not happen in alot of other variations.
However, when white plays the exchange variation. They are often content with using there chess abilitys to win over there opponent on an even playing ground.
If the battle ground is even than the better player can often use there superior ability to win the game.
I love to play this side as black as many white players are overextending when opposite castlings which is almost their only plan anyways when black is sending their pawns..
a quick google didn't yeild the results i'm looking for. so what happens if the white pawn takes d5? if i play the queen, wouldn't the next few moves have white developing at the expense of chasing my queen around?