I want to learn French Defense

1 : It depends on the level of our opponents but for example on the Chessmater program below 2000 I find it is much easier to play the French Defense than 1)...e5

2 : The most strong variation for White I think it is 1) e4 e6 2) d4 d5 3) Nc3 Bb4 4) e5 c5 5) a3 Bxc3+ 6) bxc3 Ne7 7) Qg4 Qc7 8) Qxg7 Rg8 9) Qxh7 cxd4 10) Ne2

3 : I pass the question.

4 : It is not necessarily a draw like the Petrov's Defense is not necessarily a draw for Black but as it's "an equal chance position" if we don't have a strong enough level we risk making more draws against opponents who play for draws.

Otherwise the French Exchange variation is not at all easy and as "humans tend to underestimate it or act like if this opening didn't exist", we'll have to use "strong bots knowledge" since we can't have "strong humans knowledge" (or study Petrov's Defense because it is the same type of difficulty).

My fav is French Defense according to Stockfish 7. 28 pages for the first 2 moves.

The most exhaustive around...by far.

1. I think in lower leagues the French 1…e6 is easier to play vs. King Pawn 1…e5 because a lot of players try to do Fried Liver attacks which is worthless against French.

2. The toughest line for me to face was the Tarrasch, but I eventually found a nice variation to play against it Fort Knox Variation.

3. I never bought any books on French.

4. The most annoying line is the Exchange French Variation because I found it to be completely boring. Compared to all the other French lines, the Exchange is the easiest one. The others are a lot tougher to play against.

The problem is even though the French exchange is easier to play against. You will face it a lot and it gets boring and repetitive really fast.

I stopped playing the French because I felt the Exchange variation sucked the fun out of the line. I won a lot more games as black vs. white in the exchange variation, but it wasn’t fun.

- The line is simplified (same pieces)

- The line is symmetrical (same pawn structure)

- The line is boring (white side players play it a ton)

Maybe, you will have different perspectives vs. me.

I just found it to be boring drawish line which was total buzz kill.

I've been enjoying Anish's chessable course on the French and highly recommend some of the free stuff he did with ChessBase India.

1. It's usually a bit more combative vs e4 than e5, and less volatile than the Sicilian. 2. Many consider the Advance French to be pressing, but the Tarasch is also very good. 3. Unsure of a book, but YouTube has some good stuff. 4. Exchange French can be drawing, but overall very pressing if you learn IQP postions.

Being a French Advocate for 29 years, I can tell you that the most difficult to face is 3.Nc3.

As far as books, a single book will not solve the problem. You need to start with a beginner book with explanations, like the one from the First Steps series by Everyman. Then you need more advanced works, like the Moskalenko books and The Modernized French book from a couple of years ago.

As far as the Exchange, I play the Symmetrical line (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 Bd6 6.O-O O-O 7.Bg5 Bg4 8.Nbd2 Nbd7 9.c3 c6 10.Qc2 Qc7 11.Rfe1 Rfe8 12.h3 Bh5). In about 80 games OTB, I have roughly 55 wins, about 20ish draws, and literally 4 losses, and no loss was in a timec ontrol slower than Game in 60 minutes. There is a simple reason why I win so many games in the Exchange - Study THOROUGHLY your minor piece endings!

My main opening is french and I think it is much easier than e5. In french the central pawns are not easily removed (except for exchange variation), so games are pretty solid and balanced compared to e5. When I play french my least favorite is exchange variation... some players choose it to avoid french's pawn structure. Exchange variation is completly different with other lines in french.

Exchange variation is usually drawish, but I place my pieces different with white to avoid boring, drawish, simple game.

When white castle kingside, I make position like this and usually castle queenside. Then pawn storm makes game a little interesting even though it is exchange variation. The game is less drawish because of imbalances.

Yeah, I use to play both set up that Thrillerfan & Asnite are talking about.

I found 2 different ways to play the Exchange as Black.

- Thriller fan set up is mirroring set up.

It’s sort of a copy cat line.

I have good score with it as well, but it got very repetitive to me.

I tried finding different way to play exchange because I was just never satisfied.

- Asnite showed the other exchange line which is playable as well

The rule of thumb in that line is what ever spot White develop his Knight on King side. You do the opposite.

So if white plays his knight to f3, than black plays their knight to e7.

‘If white plays his knight to e2, than black plays their knight to f6.

‘Instead of copying your doing the opposite with knight.

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If white has knight on f3, you pin it with your bishop Bg4.

Most players playing white will try to copy with Bg5, but because black put the knight opposite on e7. Black can break pin with f6.

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Now you can understand Asnite diagram a little better.

The move f6 does look weird if you don’t know why it was played. 
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Some of the moved played by Asnite are not same as ones I played.

‘Asnite also has brilliant idea which I never did.

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I use to play my pawn to c6 to prevent Nb5 moves from white which would seek to capture my dark bishop.

I use to reroute the Knight on c6 to the King side.

I also use to castle King side.

The line was more fun vs. the copy cat line in my opinion, but I still got tired of it.

I ended up changing to Caro Khan shortly afterward.

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However, Asnite idea of putting knight on c6 + castling Queen side might be game changer.

I never thought about castling Queen side.

If black castles Queen side, they can do pawn storm on king side.

Both players would do pawn storm which could make position more exciting.

Honestly, it never crossed my mind. LOL

I was a beginner and I thought that was only way to play it and so I ended up changing lines to Caro-Kan.

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It’s funny because I did try out Caro-Kan for little while, but I ended up giving that line up as well. I liked the fact black can develop bishop in Caro-Kan.

I also liked the compact structure the Caro-Kan has.

The biggest draw back for me was the Caro-Kan didn’t punish noobs. LOL

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For Example: Advanced French

In the French, if you play against weaker player, their center will often collapse.

When the center collapse, you end up getting a center pawn roller going.

You feel like a train - steam rolling your opponent to death.

The gratification is more immediate.

They messed up and you punished them and your punishment came fast and swift.

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In the Caro Kan, if you play against weaker player, your gratification is on a delay.

Your opponent just messed up and 20 moves from now they are so going to feel your wrath.

Your weaker opponent just blundered 2 pawns.

Your sitting their as Black thinking the game is over.

20 moves from now your going to Queen those pawns and your opponent is so getting it!

Their is no swift actions in the Caro-Kan.

No immediate response. It is all on a delay.

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When my weaker opponents mess up, I want a swift ending.

The reason I bring this up is because of another issue which exists in Caro-Kan.

I think the Caro-Kan causes a person to get more infuriated with themselves.

I don’t know if people have ever heard an old catch phrase:

”Don’t beat yourself up when you lose”.

Compared to all other chess opening lines I think the Caro-Kan causes a person to beat themselves up a lot more.

It sounds crazy, but I noticed a lot of players who played against me felt like they was winning.

I played unrated games against wide range of levels.

Players 1300 - 1500

I would play a game and my opponent would lose the game.

After the game, they would be like how did I lose?

I was beating you the whole time. You was on the ropes.

Most people in a chess game know when they are losing and they have a shift in plans during the game. The Caro-Kan doesn’t win immediately so the opponents often don’t know they are losing which causes them to keep going with their plans.

It is a big issue because they can be attacking, sacrificing, attacking, etc.

‘All these moves can be unsound, but they don’t feel at any point that they are losing.

‘Which is very problematic because what can happen is a person playing black side could play the wrong defensive move. At which point, they could end up losing the game.

‘Once, the game is over the player playing white mindset is I was winning the entire time.

‘Your just so easy to beat!

So what happen is you are upset you lost, but on top of that your even more upset because the person your playing against is oblivious to the fact they was losing.
It makes you just get more upset with yourself for losing.

The French Exchange is not drawish unless you are playing a 2600, in which case, I am REALLY REALLY REALLY happy to get a draw with Black.

Otherwise, mastering the Symmetrical variation of the exchange French is all about mastering your minor piece endings! The following games were all played in less than a Month's time.

The following sees Black execute a brilliant trap that White walks right into on move 33. Instead, White must retreat his King, but then Black is still pressing.

Something to notice about these games:

First, White is an A-player, not an expert or master. Experts and Masters rarely ever play the exchange, and when they do, I still either win or draw, like I won a beautiful game against a 2150 in Round 5 of the 2014 US Open that started as a Petroff, but after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d3 Nf6 6.d4 d5, we are in an exchange French and the Symmetrical line was played with 7.Bd3 Bd6 8.O-O O-O 9.Bg5 Bg4 10.Nbd2 Nbd7 11.c3 c6 12.Qc2 Qc7 13.h3 Bh5 and Black eventually won. In over 80 games with this line, I have lost 4 times, all of them G/60 or shorter, and won well over 50 times with between 20 and 25 draws.

There is NOTHING to be afraid of in the Exchange. Just thank your opponent for the half point on move 3 and fight him now for the other half. It is a 2-result game if you know your minor piece endings, 1/2-1/2 or 0-1.

Notice the fourth game White played 4.c4 and Black mauled White. It leads more to a direct attack than the c3-lines by White which the Symmetrical is then very easy for Black if he trusts his ability to play minor-piece endings.

White has 4 main variations in the above position.

1.e5 - Advanced

I think advanced variation is the funnest variation, but you have to be careful.

White has trappy line they can play - Barry Gambit

2.exd5 - Exchange

I think exchange variation is the most annoying.

3.Nc3 - Mainline

Black can play it 3 different ways.

Classical is Nf6

Winawer is Bb4

Rubinstein is dxe4 (Their are also a lot of sub variations within the Rubinstein)

4.Nd2 - Tarrasch

Black can play 5 different ways.

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Your going to have to figure out what you will do against these moves.

Otherwise, your not going to do well.

Thank you for a detailed explanation I learned this idea from a youtube video made by CM. (I'm afraid I can't leave a link because it's not an english video)

Some more ideas in this line were to delay the castling as long as I can (f6 is a delay move which helps pawn storm later. I'm happy when my opponent plays Bg5 because I can play f6 with no cost), and see if white already started a pawn storm in queenside. If I think queenside castling is too risky, I can still castle kingside and f6 is not a big disadvantage. At least it blocks the outpost on e5.

 One another idea of Ne7 is it helps the trade of white bishops at f5. Unlike the diagram I posted on #9, white has another option to play Nd2-c3-Qc2, making a queen-bishop battery, which is a common attacking idea for both side in exchange variation. (but it doesn't work to queenside castling. LOL)
 But after I offer a trade, battery is gone and my knight will be placed in pretty good f5 square.
After I trade my h pawn, a cooperative attack of queen and rook is also available.

I think going to the endgame is accelerated in exchange variation. Pieces are easily traded and game is easily simplified, especially in symmetrical line. I tried to study exchange variation as like when I study other openings, but I found it is much important to be good at endgame and making good use of few pieces, which made me think studying exchange variation like other openings is not that good. It required completely different kind of ability.
It would be a good news for black that he can easily make a equal position which means white loses the advantage of moving first, but black will have to be confident in endgame skills. (honestly, I'm unsure of my endgame skill😑 and this is why I try to make game tactically)

1. It's probably easier since you don't have to know that many lines. Also you can decide whether you want to play it solidely/passively (Rubinstein, Fort Knox, ) or sharply (Winawer).

2. Probably Nc3.

3. There are many books, for example an old game collection by Uhlmann, but also newer publications. It probably depends on the lines you are picking. I would experiment a bit first to see if you like the positions.

4. Not at all. The exchange can be more challenging than it looks. Also, as Black you have the option to go 0-0-0. Besides, below 2000 sooner or later one player will blunder.

I play the sicilian Kan, but for beginners I recommend the french instead of e5 or c5. It’s a lot simpler to learn the basic theory and you restrict white’s options a lot more. And french tends to work better than Caro Kann which is so popular these days

@1

"1. Is it more difficult to play than e5?" ++ Yes: Bc8 is shut in.

"2. What is the most challenging variation against it?" ++ 3 Nc3

"3. What will be a good book for learning it?" ++ A data base

"4. will exchange french be drawish at my level?" ++ No. Even at top GM level they win with it.

All this talk about the French got me fired up to play the French again!

What a disaster it was for me! LOL

It started off great.

Than it spiraled out of control. LOL

I haven’t played the French in like 10 years.

I can show some of the games I played today.

It was a crazy exchange game with an unusual imbalance.

We have to give propers for my next opponent!

He was only (800), but he was mighty.

We have to give propers to my man Top Gun Charlie.

He had me on the ropes. He was coming at me like spider monkey.

I managed to defend, but it was close one.

Next opponent was Cornered Chess.

He tried to corner me, but it didn’t work out.

This is when things begin to spiral down hill.

The next player got me so good.

‘He was only ranked 1100, but the loss hurts.

I completely butchered the Winawer.

I got to study it again because I got crushed.

I decided to keep rematching the same player.

He was pretty good.

There was moments of brillance mixed in with wildness.

I think something came back to me in my memory where I am supposed to wait till they play a3 before capturing the Knight with the Winawer bishop.

I lost the game though

Bwahahahahahah - so hilarious

I got to look at the Winawer again.

I'm a longtime French player.

1) I couldn't say as I've never played 1...e5, but I do know you don't have to know very much theory.

2) 3. e5, 3.Nd2, and 3.Nc3 are all challenging options. I consider them to be equally challenging as top GMs play all three variations. If there is a difference in which is "most theoretically challenging" it sure doesn't matter for anyone below WC level.

3) Victor Moskalenko's "The Fully-Fledged French" is a great introductory book covering many major French lines and providing a complete repertoire. It also includes many instructive games.

An additional note - I think the French is a great practical opening because there's so many variations Black can play! For example, in the Tarrasch variation, (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2), Black has no less than 8 different options on move 3: (3...c5, Nf6, h6, a6, Be7, dxe4, Nc6, and even 3...e5!?). Therefore, you stand a very good chance of being on more familiar ground than your opponent.