Hatred facing the French

I recently played a game against it, while I did made a few mistakes, and an annoying mouse slip, I still struggled like crazy like every single time I come across it. the Sicillian is annoying but not nearly half as the French in my opinion...

What should an e4 player strive to do against the French?
or
What is the goal for a French player?

I started like this, I have a hard time knowing if we should take on d5 or push to e5, what do French expect us to do?

3. exd5 is not very ambitious, in my opinion. It removes the two main drawbacks of the French... the cramped position and the confined c8-Bishop.

Personally, after 1. e4 e6 I just play 2. d3 instead of d4.

Cheese-eating resignation monkeys?

Well, first of all I wouldn't play the Exchange Variation unless you're so intimidated by your opponent that you just want to survive long enough to get a draw. I don't mind if Black wants to play the complicated Winawer Variation. Basically what White wants to do in the French is try and keep his pawn center intact and then attack on the K-side. Black wants to play moves like c5 and f6 to try and destroy White's pawn center. Whoever achieves their goal wins.

True. The three main responses to 1.e4 are 1...e5, 1...c5 and 1...e6 - if one of them gives major problems despite having learnt the plans and ideas, time to switch to 1.d4.

Then you SURPRISE them with the stunning move 2.Qd2!!!????

As they say, knights before bishops so you want to make sure all your bishops are blocked before knights are developed. The main line might run 2...Ke7 3.e3 Nf6! 4.Ke2 Ke8 (now that a knight is developed).

Yeah, 2.c4 is pretty wild

Try the London System

And that's why people are struggling with KP opening... most anybody has a pet response ready... French, Sicilian, Caro, Petrov, ect. Club level player cannot possibly learn so many variation? In fact QP opening is becoming similar... most any opponent is ready and waiting. Use flank opening for surprise...

Lion has spoken. 

I used to think 1.d4 e6 2.Bf4 was inaccurate due to 2...f5, but now I'm not so sure.

Nah, you need to use the King's Pawn Opening, Wayward Queen, Kiddie Countergambit

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/kings-pawn-openingwayward-queen-kiddie-countergambit

try and become french. u will understand the craziness in their mind 

@josephyossi... Blocked and Reported for racism and the abuse you left me earlier. Be happy. 

@pushwood... irony is the US could not have won freedom... but for French military aid, and this was admitted by Washington and Franklin ect. France had world's second largest empire... and what's wrong with bread and cheese? 

For surrender monkeys... check portugal or greece, lol...

You should play e5. You get a solid position, and if black goes ne7-nf5 and takes your dark squared bishop, your rook will have an open file for an attack. In the ending position in the diagram, white has ideas of Qe1-Qh4 to attack on h7, along with ng5 to attack on h7. This is only one variation, so you will probably have to study the rest.

Edit: After black plays b6 in the diagram, you can play bxh7

.

lion.. racsim? 

The French Defense players I know just want to get the same familiar positions with as little theory as possible. They love it when white pushes e5 because it means they get to hammer the d4 pawn and attack down the c-file, and they love it when white takes on d5 because they can get an ordinary, equal middlegame with relative ease.

I even dabbled with 1.d4 and the London System just to try to mess with them. Then I learned I also hated playing the London System, so there's that.

The Two Knights French might be worth a shot. Unlike the mainline French, white puts an emphasis on piece play, and often voluntarily liquidates his center. In my experience it makes French players a little uncomfortable when the shoe is on the other foot and they are defending their pawns against white's attack.

I heard so much about it... I will look into John Bartholomew's repertoire on it on Chessable

Thanks!

And thanks for all the responses! 

Yes... or borderline anyway. And can't you change that silly Ronaldo pic?! Good player, not the best. Ever hear of Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, MESSI ect. Luka Modric is better player.

Lion has spoken.