How do I counter the French Opening?

I'm trying to beat someone on a chess board and they keep playing the French. My goal is to beat them, and while I know that just focusing on the opening won't help, I believe learning some counters will go a long way.

I would recommend 3..Nc3

But If you want you can play the exchange variation and just develop your pieces

3. Nc3, 3. e5 (Advance) or 3. Nd2 (Tarrasch) are the best.

3. exd5 (Exchange) is very drawish and unambitious.

Nc3, Nd2, and e5 are all excellent options, but I feel like they fall too much into the opponent's prep. I personally play 2. d3 and transpose into a King's Indian Attack to get French players out of prep. I find that nobody actually knows what to do against it. I think it'll really surprise your friend, try it out.

I mean, it’s a different story for a 500 but here are my personal takes on each weapon against the french

3.Nc3 - 10/10 Awesome 🔥

Advance - 8/10 Very nice 😊

Milner Berry Gambit - 8/10 Awesome! 😎

Exchange - 6/10 Boring but underrated ✅

Tarrasch - 9/10 Very solid. 🪨

3.Bd3 - 7/10 I mean it’s alright like 👍

Gotham 2.b3 - 5/10 Meh 🫤

Two Knights - 7/10 Good sideline. 👌

what about the KIA

I have a winning percentage with Orthoschnapp Gambit at 1400-1500 level if that helps.

A lot of people are afraid to play into it though

KIA - 7/10 KIA in general is cool 😎

I do not trust the orthoschnapp gambit at all. But I will admit it might be an ok blitz weapon, still unsound though

A matter of taste. Even the "drawish" exchange variation can be played ambitiously.
3.Nc3, 3.Nd2, 3.e5 are all very valid options.

fr

Toothless, and objectively inferior to normal play by White.

https://www.chessable.com/blog/orthoschnapp-gambit/

Which gambit do you like more against the french?

Unfortunately for me, the first few times I played  Orthoschnapp Gambit it was amazing so I haven't looked into anything else.

SMH!

When are players ever going to learn to focus on what YOU UNDERSTAND AND ARE GOOD AT instead of focusing on what your opponent doesn't know. Odds are - he knows it!

Speaking as a long time French player, moves like 2.b3 or 2.Nf3/3.e5/4.b4 lead to ZERO HESSITATION for me, and in fact, I already figure I have equalized!

Chess is not about tricking your opponent within the first 3 moves. So what? The game starts at move 10 instead of move 3. Guess what? Even if he or she knows the first 10 moves of the French, they still have to complete the middlegame and endgame.

Oh, and to prove your theory is total BS:

King's Indian Attack:

And now:

A) 13.Bf4 a4

B) 13.Ng4 Nd4 (13...a4 is also an option)

C) 13.Ng5 Qe8

Dream on trying to "trick" people with your King's Indian Attack!

As an avid French player and one who has also played the White side numerous times including over the board:

3.Nc3 - 10/10

3.e5 - 9/10 (6.a3! - 6.Bd3?! gets a 3 at best!)

3.Bd3 - 8/10

2.d3 - 6/10

3.Nd2 - 6/10

3.exd5 - 4/10

Two Knights - 4/10

Reti Gambit (2.b3) - 2/10

Wing Gambit - 2/10

2.Bc4 - 0/10

first of all, rage issue

Secondly, I’m not saying don’t try the Classical or the Tarrasch or the other mainlines. I’m just giving a side option that you could try. Plus, the KIA isn’t something that’s all about tricking your opponent- news flash- it’s an actual opening.

i like advanced variation

Also- little side comment- The person who created this thread is 500. At that level, nobody knows any sidelines- they barely even know their own mainlines- assuming their opponent is also 500, of course. So, the KIA, odds are, will surprise their opponent. Maybe not at your level, where everyone plays overwhelming mainlines, but definitely at a beginner-intermediate level. Even if it doesn't, so? White still gets a good game in the KIA.

Exactly! Justice for 500, exchange is completely fine 👍