What is the most aggressive way to respond to the french defense?

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Homsar
There’s always the Milner-Barry gambit
sndeww

I don't think you're supposed to push the f-pawn in the closed Tarrasch...

Prometheus_Fuschs

You can try the Monte-Carlo variation.

Since 2. d4 d5 are is by far the most common continuation of the french, you can play this most of the times.

Dugbug_24
Prometheus_Fuschs wrote:

You can try the Monte-Carlo variation.

Since 2. d4 d5 are is by far the most common continuation of the french, you can play this most of the times.

this sounds good, but doesn't it leave you with an isolated queens pawn?

 

ThrillerFan
Dugbug_24 wrote:

so like this? I don't feel like this works because black can play c5 immediately, and this often transposes into a closed position (which is bad for attacking), but I'll try it out!



 

The move 5.f4 is too weakening.  5.Nf3!

 

And f7 is almost NEVER the weakness in the French.  Depending on the line played and whether Black has castled or not, it is usually either e6, g7, or h7.

 

White's best move is 3.Nc3, but there is no way to quickly blast Black off the board.  There is no such thing as a successful aggressive player or a successful passive player.  A successful player understands the difference between short term and long term advantages.  Long term advantages cannot be rushed.

A-mateur

I recommend you the Alekhine-Chatard gambit (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4!?). If black accepts the Gambit with Bxg5 hxg5 Qxg5, you follow by Nh3 (not Nf3 that blocks the d1-h5 diagonal) and have a dynamic position on the king's sinde. However, if he knows this gambit, black usually refuses it by playing 6...a6 or 6...c5.

Against the Winawer (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4), you can play 4.Ne2!? dxe4 5.a3 and if black doesn't play 5...Be7, you will have the bishop pair (in a quite open position(, a sound pawn structure, at the cost of one pawn. Against the Rubinstein (3.Nc3 dxe4) you can simply develop your pieces in order to castle on the Queen's side, and you will normally have a nice attack, if you can avoid exchange of pieces. 

Srimurugan108

Using the knight to defend is a better option in my strategic planning 

ThrillerFan
AntiNetwork wrote:

 

 
I like to play the French Exchange.

 

Give me the first one!

I play 8...Nbd7!  If 9.c3, then 9...c6.  Then if 10.Qc2, then 10...Qc7.  Then if 11.Rfe1, then 11...Rae8.

 

If ever h3?!, then ...Bh5 and I will not advance my h-pawn.

 

If 12.Any Move, Symmetry is unlikely by me.

 

Ball is in White's court.  You either have to commit first with a move like h3?!, a3, etc, waste a move like Kf1 or Kh1, or basically shuffle the Rooks and do nothing.

 

Black is fully equal, and if White plays non-challantly, like 12.h3?!, Black is slightly better.  If White is careful, full equality is still achieved, and that is all Black can ask for.  As Anand once said, if White wants a draw, White has a draw!

ThrillerFan
MASTER_JUSTIN2 wrote:
SNUDOO wrote:

Black will never play... c4 if he/she knows what they're doing.

that is what black is supposed to do in the advanced french

 

Never is not true.  There is ONE LINE where c4 is ok by Black.

 

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 (whole point for Black is to attack d4) 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.a3 (White does not have time for 6.Be2?! cxd4 7.cxd4 Nh6 8.O-O Nf5 and White has no good way to cover the d-pawn, and so instead 8.Nc3 Nf5 9.Na4 Qa5+!! (The fact that this is a check is critical, hence why 5...Bd7?! is now dubious, black must act fast!) 10.Bd2 Bb4 11.Bc3 b5! 12.a3 Bxc3 13.Nxc3 b4 14.axb4 Qxb4 =/+ and 6.Bd3?! Is even more dubious than 6.Be2 as after 6...cxd4 7.cxd4 Bd7 8.O-O Nxd4 9.Nxd4 Qxd4 10.Nc3 a6!! is -/+)

And now, after 6.a3, Black has either the dynamic 6...Nh6 or the positional 6...c4 now that b3 is weakened.

ThrillerFan
A-mateur wrote:

I recommend you the Alekhine-Chatard gambit (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4!?). If black accepts the Gambit with Bxg5 hxg5 Qxg5, you follow by Nh3 (not Nf3 that blocks the d1-h5 diagonal) and have a dynamic position on the king's sinde. However, if he knows this gambit, black usually refuses it by playing 6...a6 or 6...c5.

Against the Winawer (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4), you can play 4.Ne2!? dxe4 5.a3 and if black doesn't play 5...Be7, you will have the bishop pair (in a quite open position(, a sound pawn structure, at the cost of one pawn. Against the Rubinstein (3.Nc3 dxe4) you can simply develop your pieces in order to castle on the Queen's side, and you will normally have a nice attack, if you can avoid exchange of pieces. 

 

"If he knows it ..." - so you are advertising the classic case of hope chess.

 

Also, Black has a very important option that you do not mention.  You mention the Rubinstein and Winawer.  The Alekhine-Chatard attack comes from the Classical with 4.Bg5.  There are differences between the Rubinstein and Burn (4...dxe4), but even more glaring, a line I have played numerous times, 4...Bb4!!, The McCutchen!!, and White players that do not know it tend to play the extremely dubious 5.e5 h6 6.Bd2 Bxc3 7.Bxc3? And usually get killed.  Correct is 7.bxc3!

A-mateur

""If he knows it ..." - so you are advertising the classic case of hope chess. "

 

What I meant is: 'be prepared to every options, this gambit is not necessarily accepted'. If this gambit was 'hope chess', I would have said something like 'after 6...c5! black didn't fall in the trap and is better'.

Prometheus_Fuschs
Dugbug_24 escribió:
Prometheus_Fuschs wrote:

You can try the Monte-Carlo variation.

Since 2. d4 d5 are is by far the most common continuation of the french, you can play this most of the times.

this sounds good, but doesn't it leave you with an isolated queens pawn?

 

In the main lines yes.

sndeww
MASTER_JUSTIN2 wrote:
SNUDOO wrote:

Black will never play... c4 if he/she knows what they're doing.

that is what black is supposed to do in the advanced french

lol, no. The point is to put pressure on d5... anything that doesn't do that just isn't what black is looking for.

A-mateur
SNUDOO a écrit :
MASTER_JUSTIN2 wrote:
SNUDOO wrote:

Black will never play... c4 if he/she knows what they're doing.

that is what black is supposed to do in the advanced french

lol, no. The point is to put pressure on d5... anything that doesn't do that just isn't what black is looking for.

on d4*

sndeww

yea. but same.

Prometheus_Fuschs

Where have I heard that BS before?

fenrissaga

 

This seem aggressive against the french as white 

what about the Steinitz attack,not that dubious 

 

The blueprint as black

Colin20G

The king's indian attack. You may also try the funny gambit line 1.e4 e62.d4 d5 3.c4 !?

An_asparagusic_acid
Dugbug_24 wrote:

I am an aggressive player but I am having trouble against the french defense, mainly because I can't attack the weak f7 square with my bishop (bc4). Do you know any ways I can play against the french defense?

Play the exchange:

 

mkkuhner

The Exchange Variation puts many French players (including me, alas) out of their comfort zone, and White can get quite a nasty piece attack if Black is inaccurate.  (I lost a game in the Oregon Open this way, in 16 moves or so, and my opponent told me it would be a great training game for his students to study...not the kind of fame I was hoping for.)

NM Jason Cigan said in a magazine article that French players choose variations not because they are good, but because they are Frenchy.  I think this is true--people play the French because they like the heavy pawn chain action and closed center.  The Advance Variation is VERY Frenchy and will make a French-loving opponent happy, so it's not your best choice.  If you don't like the Exchange, I recommend the King's Indian Attack (avoiding 2. d4).

I play the Albin-Chatard Gambit myself and have plenty of attacking fun, but it's not the same style of attack as in the double KP openings.  f7 is not the main target, and things move a bit more slowly as you manuver around the closed center.