Keep it Simple: 1.e4

I am reading Christof Sielecki's book, and finding it easily the most useful repertoire book I've ever read. Every opening he recommends is either one I like already or one I've been thinking of playing in the future, and I will probably end up adopting the entire repertoire, with the possible exception of some of his lines against the Sicilian. His approach is really summed up in his treatment of the French. I wasn't sure at first that I wanted to adopt the Exchange Variation as my main weapon, and when I've used it in the past I have avoided his recommendation of 4.Nf3, feeling that was just too boring. But actually the problem with the Exchange is not that it;'s drawish (nearly all the pieces are on the board, so there's lots of potential for complications), but that it's featureless. There are no distinctive pawn structures etc, so it's hard to know what plan to come up with. But he is really good at mapping out the possibilities and showing how certain ideas turn up in variation after variation. This is a book I think I'll learn a lot from.

I have seen the book, and I can tell you as a long time French player, and having skimmed that particular section, that just like any other book on the exchange, it goes under the assumption that Black tries to force asymmetry, and feels that he's in a must win situation.

If Black goes for a symmetrical defense (one of the few openings where it actually works), White gets absolutely nothing, and he even has to be careful.  By Black forcing White to commit first, he commits to the wrong thing and it becomes a weakness for than a strength and then it's White fighting for the draw.

Probably the most common one that I get is 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.h3, which I don't think is White's best (if there is a best, per se).  Now Black can contest the battery and White can't due to the weakening of g3.

Ever since I took up the Symmetrical Defense back in 2014 arising from 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d3 (more common are 5.Nc3 and 5.d4) Nf6 6.d4 d5 and you have the exchange French via 2 extra moves, specifically the line 4.Nf3 Nf6, I have yet to lose in any over the board tournament game in which White played the exchange.  Probably about a 60/40 split between wins and draws (that's an 80% score with Black).

So I'd think twice before taking up the exchange.  If you don't want to deal with the mine fields that result from 3.Nc3, I would highly suggest the Advance Variation.

If you want good advice in the French Defense where you can see the common mistakes that Amateurs make along with a couple of GM games sprinkled in, I would suggest reading the French Connection series.  The first one is at:

http://charlottechesscenter.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-french-connection-volume-1.html

and there is a menu on the right to navigate through the years and months.  Move forward from March 2018 to today.  There are 24 articles thus far with more to come.  (And no, they are not all Black wins - Many nice wins by White are also featured).

I can't speak for the rest of the book.  Just the French.

@ThrillerFan, Sielecki's recommendation in the symmetrical line is 6.Qe2+. He remarks: "Without this check White's opening would be rather toothless as Black would equalize by simply copying everything." @hakkyakky28, he discusses lines and ideas, then there is a chapter of sample games at the end of each chapter. One of the things I find most impressive is that he understands perfectly well that club members are not going to be able to memorize all his lines, so he frequently points out the things that you do need to remember, above all the key ideas and recurring motifs. With just a very few variations (none of them in the French) he notes that you really do need to know the tactics, but often he just says there's a choice of good moves in the position, and he doesn't go particularly deep into his chosen line.

@FrogCDE - Black can still copy with 6...Qe7.  If White chooses to force the asymmetry by trading Queens, Black can still capture either with his Bishop or King.  Slightly passive, but White still has no advantage.

Fairly recently GM Harikrishna has played several times a form of French exchange (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.exd5!? exd5 5.Bd3) with considerable success against very strong opposition. He has made an anti-French course at another site based on it.

@ThrillerFan, this is all analysed in the book. Sielecki believes 6...Qe7 is the weakest response to the check. Some of his analysis is as follows:

Does he cover 7...Kxe7?  With the Queens gone and no immediate check on the e-file, that is how I'd be more inclined to take.

Everybody draws this as white, and Carlsen wins. So, no surprises, suffice to say that it is a normal equal position!  

@ThrillerFan, yes, he does cover Kxe7. I went back to the diagram shortly after posting it
to put the variation in, but apparently only premium members are allowed to do that. So here it is:

I'm enjoying reading Sielecki because he's making me think in a more nuanced way about how to try and play for a win in positions that are relatively quiet. Whether I will in fact get anything out of them remains to be seen.

Ok, white is sitting nice after 15 f4 directly above but what is a good plan of action for white here. This is exactly where many of us club players will go astray 

I took a look at the rest of the game. Carlsen proceeded with 16 h3, 17 g4, 18 Kf2. Expanding on the kingside was the idea I had thought of, good to see Carlsen support it. 

That's my claim, that Black has zero problems equalizing, not that Black has refuted the Exchange French.