How to play as White against French Defence? (For beginner player)

You are reinforcing my point. Beginners should be learning the importance of piece placement.

Of course, a great, offbeat line for white is 1. e4 e6 2.Qe2. That's if you're ok with an offbeat KIA. Recommended for black would be 2. ...c5.

Therefore they should always play the French Exchange as white?

There is nothing they should always play, but the exchange against the French is a good choice.

I think that Nc3, which you have advocated, and the advance are the most principled choices. But playing either well requires a bit more book study.

It is really hard to play against, i personally actually like playing unorthodox moves, that black hasnt ever studied

As a beginner or post-beginner, your main asset for improvement isn't your board vision, or your tactical skill, or your positional understanding. Nor is it your choice of opening variation.

Your main asset is your enthusiasm for the game of chess. That's what will keep you working to improve your play.

So you should select your openings based on what sort of position you would ENJOY playing. Protect your enthusiasm - your main asset at this level - by playing something that looks FUN.

Would you like a wide-open game? Play a gambit. A very closed game? Play the Advance Variation. A semi-open game with a fixed center? Play the Exchange. A semi-open game with a Jump formation or an IQP in the center? Play 3. Nd2.

Personally, I like to play fianchetto formations and especially King's Indian type formations, so I meet the French with 2. d3 (instead of 2. d4) followed by 3. Nd2 and later a g3 / Bg2 fianchetto.

Not because I think 2. d3 is stronger than 2. d4 - I don't. I think it's more FUN than 2. d4.

@blueemu offers sound advice.

Perhaps the same advice remains useful when one is no longer a beginner, too.

As we improve we develop a wider knowledge and of course, winning becomes less due to luck and more about observing opening priniples, developing well and effectively so as to maximise control of squares and ultimately attempting to cause bigger weaknesses in our opponents' positions than they cause in ours (or than we cause ourselves).

And then spotting the weaknesses and exploiting them well. It's a difficult game and only a lucky few are complete naturals who never even have to study openings much.

Winning is made easier, to some people apparently, by playing moves our opponents don't want us to play. I much prefer playing moves they want me to play and coming up with a surprise.

I fully agree with #46. If you enjoy it, play it, even if it is a bit dubious at higher levels. The French Defense always took me out of my comfort zone, as it was very rare for me to face it amongst the people I played with (just a group of friends, and we were all casual players). When playing bots, though, it would show up and then I had to work everything out from the start. I settled on the Advance Variation simply because it limited the number of variations of Black's choosing. I started playing an early f4, which is not a good choice as Black can play Nh6->Nf5, and White is not happy. However, unless you're facing stronger players (or a decent bot), Black will often miss this idea. And, if they do, I found it really fun to play. So, despite knowing it was trash, I played that line a lot simply because it was often so much fun.

I eventually sat down and started learning more sound stuff, but every now and then, simply because I can't help myself, I fall back into bad habits. I missed a really nice mate in this one, and then somewhere around move 33 I saw I could mate with the Queen but then thought I could mate with the h-pawn; ooops - always double check - - so this goes on about 6 or 7 moves longer than it should, but watching Black's king walk deep into my territory while all of the Black pieces sit helpless on the Queen side was amusing.