Why would anyone play the French defense?

Heres another french smash. A classic example how helps black is.Once again blacks Lq bishop blows...

The French defense is a fantastic defense for club players. 

It has very clear strategic aims in every variation, even the very complicated Winawer lines rest on strategic ideas that any C level player can grasp (even if we can't always find the right moves to further those goals in such deep and sharp lines). It allows for some very clever tactical tricks. 

Black plays for a positional edge from the very start of the opening. It's a fighting game where the fight is over a few key positional themes. 
 

So, you've found a 2053 player who plays, but does not understand the French. What have you proven?

That you can cherry-pick strawmen from a database!

Exactly. Whilst white played well in that game, black played like an idiot. Hardly fair to judge an opening based on a game like that.

He is american, enough said.

damm right. We the best. 

I play French defense when I am bored with playing too many Sicilian games.

I think this thread sums it up. The only other opening in which misconceptions, uncertainties, and frustration run amok among class players is the sicilian and a lot of players avoid that. 

First of all I would like to see what are the stats for 1. ...e6 1. ...c5 against 1.e4.Then I would like to say that what many players search at the sicilian is sharp unbalanced play while us,the FD players love closed positions which at the perfect time or with a plausible mistake by our opponent,open and attack white...the LSB stays inside in the morning just to get out at night and party on the chessboard during the endgame...after a well timed f6,O-O the LSB can go the kingside....it takes just 4 bishop moves to unleash him,eyeing down the queenside,four moves that at closed positions are vital for black to have...Last but not least the "bad" bishop can go at a6 at some lines and be exchanged.so next time u ask why?consider that the FD defense is opted from those who can keep a rock solid throughout the game...and also that Sicilian players many times fall victim to their fav opening name,thinking that just by playing c5 u guaranteed at least 1/2...ain't like that though...but this is just my opinion and my view of the things...hope it helps

French is fun and with clear goals to achieve in the game...crush d4 and e5...& attack the qs...and for those that post games which they THINK indicate why in their opinion French is bad,to them and to everyone I have to say:watch some FD games between GMs and you will understand the beauty behind it regardless it is 1-0, 1/2 - 1/2 , 0-1...after all I want to believe that for all of us chess is a game an art and most of all for having fun

JariIkonen wrote:

He is american, enough said.

What????what does nationality have to do with this,with chess?are u serious???

The French has plenty of exchange sacs and sharp unbalanced lines within it's umbrella. The Winawer lines are some of the deepest, sharpest lines in all of chess opening theory.  The French is not all about closed positions and waiting for a mistake from one's oponent.  

Kingpatzer wrote:

GreenLeaf14 wrote:

First of all I would like to see what are the stats for 1. ...e6 1. ...c5 against 1.e4.Then I would like to say that what many players search at the sicilian is sharp unbalanced play . . .

True true,I couldn't agree more with you,being a FD player myself as well,I was just trying to make a contrast between the two defenses:)

The French has plenty of exchange sacs and sharp unbalanced lines within it's umbrella. The Winawer lines are some of the deepest, sharpest lines in all of chess opening theory.  The French is not all about closed positions and waiting for a mistake from one's oponent.  

the french is much easier than the many lines of the sicilian and the sicilian is a bad opening because it is not closed and your opponant can do anything

How idd you find this thread???? It's 13 months old!!! JEEZ

Sometimes, it may be good, when a valuable threads are 'rediscovered'...

Ever find a valuable thread?

Yes, many times. In fact, it was how I found chess.com!

I imagine it wasn't infested with Forum trolls.

If anyone is annoyed with the light square bishop problem with the french defense, try on the Winawer Petrosian variation. b6 in combo with Ba6 to trade off the bishop within the first few moves, plus an option of castling long.