On February 26th, 2024, one of the biggest, proudest moments of my professional life (so far) happened – the publication of the Chessable course Gustafsson’s Aggressive 1.e4 – Part 1, which I co-authored with none other but the renowned Grandmaster, commentator and opening theoretician, GM Jan Gustafsson.

To celebrate this moment and my part when it comes to the marketing of the course, I have decided to write an article in which I will talk about how the course came to be and what kind of lines and “style” a prospective student should expect out of it.

I hope you will enjoy it and find it useful.

Gustafsson’s Aggressive 1.e4 – Part 1

Basic Information About The Course?

Gustafsson’s Aggressive 1.e4 is a repertoire aimed at providing you with an overall 1.e4 repertoire. In the first part of this repertoire, we will be covering everything apart from the French, Caro-Kann, and the Sicilian. In other words, we are covering 1.e4 e5 complex and everything else Black can throw at us after 1.e4.

The course consists of:

• 579 Lines/Variations available to the user to “train”
• 59 Informational Variations
• 37 Annotated Model Games
• 166 Tactical and Strategic Puzzles
• 285.175 Words
• 20 hours and 28 minutes of video, presented by GM Jan Gustafsson

Which Lines Are Recommended In The Course?

A) After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 the Italian with 3.Bc4 will be our choice

and now:

A1) After 3…Bc5, we will be going for the sharp Dubov Italian after 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.b4!?

A2) After 3…Nf6, we will be going for what I – for some reason – called the Three Knights Variation with 4.Ng5, when the principled line in the absolute mainline is 4…d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5 c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3!?

B) After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 we will be going for 3.d4. In the absolute main line of the system after 3…Nxe4 4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5 Nd7 6.Nxd7 Bxd7 Jan has decided to recommend the move 7.Nd2!?, which was used by Magnus in his World Chess Championship against Ian Nepomniachtchi. And Jan was a member of Magnus’ team!

C) After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7, Jan has decided to go for the move 6.g3!?, which doesn’t look so aggressive at first, but can quickly lead to wild stuff after 6….d5 7.e5 Ng4 8.Bg2!?. Otherwise, we will want to secure a stable space advantage and slowly suffocate Black.

D) In the Philidor Hanham after 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7, Jan has come up with a rare move 5.a4!?, seizing space on the queenside immediately. Once again, the idea is to suffocate Black. And if they play 5…a5 we go 6.g4!? and claim we are getting a better version of the 5.g4!? Gambit with the moves a4 and a5 included.

E) Against the Scandinavian Defence, we will be going for the absolute main variation with 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 and play principled chess, since White has a good chance of seizing the initiative and fighting for the advantage without necessarily trying to sacrifice a pawn or do something crazy at all costs.

F) Against the Alekhine Defence, we have decided to go for the maximalist approach with the Four Pawns Attack, arising after 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.c4 Nb6 4.d4 d6 5.f4! This line is not very challenging, but also quite practical, since it significantly reduces Black’s options compared to the other variations of the Alekhine.

G) Against the Pirc/Modern, Jan has decided to go for the not-so-aggressive-looking Classical Variation after 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 at first glance, this setup doesn’t fit into the repertoire with the word ‘Aggressive’ in the title. But it is a rather practical choice because it allows us to play it against both Pirc and Modern move orders. Besides, this setup still has a lot of ‘aggressive’ potential due to the possibility of advancing the e-pawn rather quickly. For example, one of the main variations of the Pirc complex arises after 4…Bg7 5.Be2 O-O 6. O-O c6 7.Re1 Nbd7 8.e5 Ng4 9.e6 where we once again sacrifice a pawn for long-term compensation, fully in the spirit of this repertoire.

I) Finally, the last two chapters deal with all the other 1st moves Black can throw at us after 1.e4, such as 1…Nc6, 1…b6, 1…a6 and many others. In these last two chapters, we didn’t try to reinvent the wheel but occupied the center and tried to play principled chess.

(Do note that all the other moves after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4, as well nonsense such as 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d5?! or 1. e4 e5 2.Nf3 f5?! are also all covered)

What Is The Philosophy/Style Of The Course?

As the title of the course suggests and the lines above demonstrate, throughout this repertoire, Jan has tried to suggest combative and aggressive lines where White tries to pose immediate problems to the opponent and fight for the initiative from the get-go. Often, we should be willing to sacrifice at least one pawn to achieve our aims.

However, there are also places (most notably the Three Knights chapters) where we are the ones willing to grab some material and then fend off our opponent’s initiative. Although the positions are again crazy-looking and highly tactical, as the following example demonstrates:

The general idea was to avoid playing strategical positions and “typical” structures as often as possible, but rather to prefer a more concrete, move-by-move approach. The idea is to get our opponent into a position where the better-prepared player has better chances – and we hope that it will be us after going through the material in this repertoire.

Of course, as much as we try, it is not completely possible to avoid playing quieter positions and typical structures. Most notably in the Scandinavian chapters, where one often gets the structure where White has the pawn on d4 and the opponent has the pawns on e6 and c6 (albeit usually a good version). Some positional variations can also be seen in the Pirc, Open Philidor, and Philidor Hanham chapters, but we don’t necessarily mind entering a positional variation if it is considered to be better for White.

Can I Expect To Obtain A Won Position Directly Out Of The Opening?

Depends on the opening we are talking about. One very important thing to mention is that our approach in the 1.e4 e5 mainlines was different than the approach in the rest of the course.

Against other openings, White is objectively able to fight for the advantage. In most cases (most notably the Scandinavian and Alekhine) we have tried to maximize our chances and go for the most principled and aggressive setup. But even in the Pirc and the Philidor, where we have opted for a more practical and fresh approach, we have tried to be as ambitious as possible and objectively fight for the advantage, instead of just “getting a game”. Against all of these openings, Jan has been able to demonstrate a path toward an advantage. Although one could debate

However, in the 1.e4 e5 complex, it is objectively very difficult to fight for the advantage in the mainlines – especially in aggressive ones. Therefore, Jan was trying to come up with variations that are aggressive, lesser-known, and not total nonsense. The verdict is that both The Dubov Italian and the main variation of the Three Knights with 8.Qf3!? are comparatively fresh, challenging, venomous – and objectively not that bad for White.

Of course, we are not claiming that White has an objective advantage in these lines. But the same can be said about any variation in the 1.e4 e5 complex. The good thing is – even in the worst-case scenario where Black finds all the best possible moves, we are not seriously risking to be worse. Our hope when playing these lines is that most of our opponents will not be that well-prepared and able to find the best moves.

True, such an aggressive way of playing does entail a certain degree of risk, because even if we reach an “objectively equal” position, it might still be a rather difficult one to handle for both sides. But we figured this degree of risk is acceptable and something we are willing to live with.

How This Course Came To Be?

When this repertoire was first announced, I am sure many of you were wondering: ‘How on Earth did a schmock like you get to collaborate with someone like Jan?’ To be completely honest, I am still in disbelief. But to explain how exactly this collaboration came to be, let me take you on a brief stroll down memory lane.

For a long time, I have had an idea to do a very specific opening repertoire for the White pieces. However, back in 2021 (or was it 2022?), when I was still working for Chessable in the capacity of the Publishing Manager, I received an email from Jan where he pitched that very same idea. Given his stature and the fact that specific repertoire fits rather nicely with the ‘Chicken Chess’ brand, I figured my ideas of executing it myself were not very likely to materialize, so I more or less gave up on that idea.

However, by mid 2023 a lot of water under the bridge has passed. And still, there was no news about Jan’s new repertoire/return to Chessable. I had the suspicion that Jan might find the writing part of course production challenging, so I figured I might ask if he would be interested in ‘joining forces’ and collaborating on this project. In June 2023, I reached out to our mutual ‘acquaintance’ Mr. Dodgy, and pitched the idea. Fortunately, the response was positive and after the ‘summer break’ we agreed to collaborate on a repertoire together.

True, the final topic of the repertoire was not the one we initially envisioned. But we still put our hearts and minds into this project that has been in the works since October 2023.

How Was The Work Between You and Jan Divided?

One common question people have when they see a project that includes the collaboration of two (or more) is: ‘I wonder how the work on this project was exactly divided?’. In the case of this repertoire, the answer to this question is comparatively straightforward.

Jan was responsible for the analytical portion of the work. That includes choosing the variations, doing the analysis, and providing me with files featuring this analysis. My input in this domain was restricted to double-checking the databases and doing my best to ensure, say, that the moves relevant at the lower levels (according to the lichess database), are also covered.

As for my part, I was primarily responsible for writing all the annotations in this course. As well as anything related to the course design, such as organizing the material in chapters or deciding which lines to present as trainables and which to include as clickables. I did all the work on the non-filmed chapters (such as selecting and annotating the Model Games) independently.

Conclusion

I hope this article provides you with a good introduction/overview of this repertoire. If you are interested but are still unsure about whether the course is for you – you can also check the Free Short & Sweet version on the course on Chessable.

Looking forward to seeing you inside the courses :).

The post I Published A Course With Jan Gustafsson! appeared first on Chessentials.

Introduction

After covering the Alekhine-Chatard variation of the French Defence, today, we are going to continue our explorations of the 4.Bg5 Classical French and analyze arguably the best reply available to Black, the move 4…dxe4 leading to the so-called Burn Variation of the French Defence.

Burn Variation Of The French Defence

Overview and main ideas

The main variation analyzed in this post will be the variation of the French Defence that arises after the moves 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4

Even though as beginners we are taught not to release the tension in the center prematurely as it activates the opponent’s pieces and gives them more space, Black’s argument is that drawing the knight to e4 will create some opportunities to challenge it and potentially exchange it. And since we have less space, exchanging the pieces is very much in our favour.

This variation is similar to the Rubinstein Variation that arises after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3. Nc3/Nd2 dxe4:

,but here Black tries to make an argument that the version with the bishop on g5 is even more favorable because Black will play Be7 and seek to exchange the bishops, too. On the other hand, the bishop does create a potential pin/pressure on the f6 knight. As usual, when it comes to modern chess openings – there are two sides to the same coin.

In any case, the Burn variation continues 5.Nxe4 and now Black has a choice. The “pure” Burn move is 5…Be7, while it is also possible to play the move 5…Nbd7 and transpose to a variation of the Rubinstein defence where White has developed the bishop to g5. In this article, the focus will be on the former, while the latter will be analyzed in greater detail in a separate article devoted to the Rubinstein Variation.

Black plays with f5

After 5…Be7, the knight on e4 is under attack and White’s best way of dealing with the pressure on it is to capture the attacking knight on f6. Experience shows that the move 6. Nxf6 is a bit toothless (and you can check the analysis to see why) and the only challenging move is 6.Bxf6 when Black’s best and most common reply involves capturing with the g-pawn and reaching the starting point of the Burn Variation after 7.Nf3:

At first glance, it is not 100% obvious how Black should develop and where should the king castle. But actually, the quintessential question here is – should Black play the move f5 to kick the knight from e4? There are both pros and cons to this move – on one hand, it does remove the knight from the center and gains some share of space. But on the other hand, the knight can immediately jump to c3 and start preparing ideas connected with the d5 breakthrough. As the analysis and variations demonstrate, this idea has a lot of potential and can lead to some very fascinating lines:

Black plays without f5

As we have just seen, the variation where Black chases the knight away to c3 is not without its dangers due to the tricky knight sacrifice. Therefore, the question is – should Black bother kicking the knight away? What if Black plays without the f5 move and just continues with the development?

It is a legitimate way of playing, but it also has a certain drawback. Namely, with the knight on e4, there is the option of jumping to c5 – especially if Black goes for the standard a6-b5 setups and weakens this square in the process. I am far from the expert of this line, but it seems to me this is the case of going from frying pan to the fire and that Black should decide to play f5 sooner rather than the later. The analysis provided below can partly demonstrate why:

Free Lichess Study devoted to the Burn Variation

Youtube video devoted to the Burn Variation

Free Download of the Burn Variation .pgn file

French Defence Burn Variation

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Introduction

After covering the McCutcheon Variation of the French Defence in the previous article, today, we are going to continue our explorations of the 4.Bg5 Classical French by analyzing another very topical 4th move by Black – 4…Be7, that very often leads to a very popular and sharp gambit, called The Alekhine-Chatard Attack.

The Alekhine-Chatard Attack

Overview and main ideas

As mentioned earlier, the main variation analyzed in this post will be the variation of the French Defence that arises after the moves 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7

The main idea of the move is obviously to break the pin and reinforce the threat to the e4 pawn. White’s most common (and only real reply worth analyzing) is the advance of the e-pawn with 5.e5 when after 5…Nfd7 the following critical position arises:

White has two big options here – the first one is the natural move 6.Bxe7, while the other one is the move 6.h4.

By far the more common and popular move is the latter (6.h4), leading to the so-called Alekhine-Chatard Attack. This move was played back at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century by a strong master of the time Albin – and also by a relatively lesser-known player Chatard – but it was taken seriously only after the game Alekhine – Fahrni, Mannheim, 1914.

White’s idea is to give up the pawn to open up the file for the rook. This variation will be the main focus of this entire chapter.

Black declines the sacrifice – 6…c5

Now, before we get to the actual variations where Black accepts the gambit, let’s first take a look at some ways in which Black can try to decline it. One potential way of doing so involves the immediate central counterstrike with c5. It is a very logical French move – but it allows White to demonstrate one of the points behind having the bishop on g5.

Black declines the sacrifice – 6…a6

In the previous variation, we have seen how pushing c5 immediately can lead to some trouble due to the weakness of the b5 square. Therefore, a logical question is – can Black afford to take a moment to control the square on b5 before pushing c5?

Black declines the sacrifice – 6…h6

Last but not least, Black can try to avoid the gambit by forcing the bishop to move immediately. This seems to be a very solid option available to Black as it forces the issues and it also doesn’t involve the weakening of the queenside (such as the move 6…h6).

Black accepts the sacrifice – 6…Bxg5 7.hxg5 Qxg5

Last but not least – according to Capablanca’s old saying that the best way of refuting the gambit is to accept it – this is the most popular and arguably the critical move in this position. Black accepts the bait and asks White to demonstrate what is the idea. Thus, after 6…Bxg5 7.hxg5 Qxg5 White should remember the non-standard and creative move 8.Nh3!?.

This is a very important move to remember and understand. Instead of going to f3, the knight goes to the “Rim” and attacks the queen. There are two reasons for it:

A) The knight on h3 doesn’t block the queen from reaching g4!

B) The knight on h3 can sometimes go to f4 which may be relevant, while the knight on f3 would be unable to do so.

Free Lichess Study devoted to the Alekhine-Chatard Attack

Youtube video devoted to the Alekhine-Chatard Attack

Free Download of the Alekhine-Chatard .pgn file

French Defence – Alekhine Chatard Attack

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Introduction

After introducing the Classical Variation of the French Defence in a previous article, today we are going to continue are explorations of the variation with 4.Bg5 and analyze a very combative, sharp, and critical response – 4.Bb4 – leading to the so-called McCutcheon Variation of the French Defense.

McCutcheon Variation of the French Defense

Overview and main ideas

As mentioned above, the McCutcheon Variation is a line that can arise in the Classical Variation of the French Defense via the move order 1.e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nb4 4. Bg5 Bb4!?. According to some sources, it was named after a relatively unknown American player John Lindsay McCutcheon, who used it to defeat the World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz in the Simultaneous Exhibition in 1885:

At first glance, it looks as if this move loses a piece due to the advance of the e5 pawn, but it is not really the case, as elaborated below:

Thus, instead of advancing the pawn or trying to maintain the pin with 6.Bh4, White most commonly retreats the bishop along the c1-h6 diagonal. Actually, it transpires that three out of four retreats – to e3, c1, and d2 are very much possible and we will examine each and every one of them in turn.

White plays 6. Be3

First of all, White can try to retreat the bishop to e3. This seems like a very natural retreating move, placing the bishop on a square where it is defending the d4 pawn and also hindering the c5 pawn push. However, the drawback of this move is that it doesn’t defend the knight on c3, allowing Black to jump in immediately with 6.Be3 Ne4.

Furthermore, there are also some nuances due to which it may be worth considering the bishop to c1 instead of e3 – in a very specific line, it may turn out to be surprisingly relevant.

It is hard to explain it all in words, so let’s rather check the next chapter of our study:

White plays 6.Bc1

As mentioned above in my analysis of 6.Be3 – if White doesn’t intend to defend the knight on c3 with the bishop on d2, then going back to c1 might be worth considering. Not only does the bishop keep the option of potentially going to a3 in the future if Black takes on c3 – but there is also a very specific point in a very specific variation that showcases how having the bishop on the back rank can be useful, as follows:

White plays 6.Bd2

Last but not least, this “obvious” move, defending the c3 knight and breaking the pin, is the most common move in this position. It is not as aggressive and combative as 6.Be3 or 6.Bc1, but it is still nevertheless very ambitious and provides White with good chances of playing for the advantage.

Free Lichess Study devoted to the McCutcheon Variation

Youtube video devoted to the McCutcheon Variation

Free Download of the McCutcheon Variation .pgn file

French Defence McCutcheon Analysis

The post McCutcheon Variation of the French Defense appeared first on Chessentials.

Introduction

Back in 2020, I published an article on this blog devoted to the French Defense, titled What Every Ches Player Should Know About The French Defense. And even though it was relatively well-received, at the time, it turned out to be a one-off type of article. Not long after I wrote it, I started working for Chessable and put the opening articles ¹ into a hiatus. Even though I have always wanted to continue this series and cover more and more openings on this blog ² I never really managed to find the time to get to it.

Until now.

Given that I am currently working as a chess freelancer, I felt I really don’t have any more excuses not to start executing some ideas I have had for a long time. Especially since I have also wanted to devote more attention to my Youtube Channel – and the opening material is very suitable to be presented in the video format. ³

Thus, without further ado, I am happy to announce the return of the opening articles on this blog. In this post, we will continue our coverage of the French Defense by taking an introductory look at the Classical Variation of the French Defense.

Classical Variation of the French Defense

Overview and main ideas

The Classical Variation of the French Defense arises after the moves 1.e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6!

The idea of this move order is quite logical – Black develops a piece and creates pressure against the pawn on e4, prompting White to do something with it. It is true that this allows White to advance the e-pawn with the gain of tempo, but Black makes an argument that this fixing of the pawn chain will lead to a position where Black will have the opportunity to undermine it with thematic French pawn breaks, in the true spirit of the opening.

But before we get to the advance of the e-pawn, let’s take a look at some other options available to White on move 4.

Rare 4th moves by White

One of the advantages of the Classical Variation of the French Defense for Black is that it provides White with somewhat limited options on move 4. White should really go for one of the two main moves (4.Bg5 or 4.e5), as the alternatives are not really appealing (which is not necessarily the case with some other variations of the French Defence).

For example, White can try to play 4.Bd3!?, defending the e4 pawn. This move is very much viable against the Winawer move order with 3…Bb4, but against 3…Nf6, is not as effective due to a very concrete and specific variation that involves Black attacking the d5 pawn and also preventing the queen on d4 from attacking the g7 pawn.

Alternatively, 4.exd5 is possible, but it merely transposes to the Exchange Variation.

The Normal Variation (4.Bg5)

Therefore, trying to defend the pawn or exchange it on move 4 doesn’t really yield White any tangible benefits. It is not surprising, therefore, that two more popular moves involve a much more aggressive approach. The first of these is move 4.Bg5, leading to the so-called Normal Variation. ⁴

The idea of this move is simple – White defends the pawn on e4 indirectly by pinning the knight on f6. There are several ways in which Black can reply:

• Black can take on e4 with 4…dxe4, leading to the so-called Burn variation
• Black can break the pin with 4…Be7, when play most often continues 5.e5 Nfd7 6. h4!? – the so-called Alekhine-Chatard Attack
• Black can play 4…Bb4, leading to the so-called McCutcheon variation. At first glance, it seems as if Black is losing the piece, but after 5.e5 h6!? it transpires that it is not the case.
• Black can even try to gamble a pawn with 4…h6 5.Bxf6 Qxf6 6. exd5, although that variation seems more suitable for the master+ level

The Steinitz Variation (4.e5)

Last but not least – the natural advance of the e-pawn with 4.e5 is by far the main move in the position, leading to the so-called Steinitz variation of the French Defence. It was named after the first World Chess Champion Wilhelm Steinitz who employed this variation with great effect in a game against Sellman in 1885. ⁵

The idea of the move 4.e5 is obvious – White removes the pawn from the attack and gains some space with the gain of tempo – as the knight on f6 is attacked. On the other side, Black makes an argument that this releases the tension in the center and provides the second player with the possibility to play against the center with the help of the thematic pawn breaks c5 and f6. Black claims this is especially powerful because the knight on c3 is blocking the c-pawn and preventing White from reinforcing the center so easily with the move c2-c3.

Conclusion

This brings me to the end of this introductory article devoted to the Classical Variation of French Defence. In the subsequent posts, I will continue the coverage of the Classical variation by examining the variations that can arise via the 4.Bg5 move order in great detail.

In the meantime – make sure to check some of the material related to the topic of this article (and the French Defence) provided below!

And keep on improving and having fun!

Cheers!

Vjeko

Additional resources/Self-promotional material

Free Lichess Study with the material covered in this article

Youtube Video Devoted to the Classical Variation

Free Lichess Study devoted to the Normal Variation with 4.Bg5

Youtube video devoted to the Normal Variation with 4.Bg5

Free Download -Introduction to the 4.Bg5  Classical Variation .pgn file

French Defence Classical – Introduction

Free Lichess Study devoted to the Steinitz variation with 4.e5

Work in progress, coming soon

Youtube video devoted to the Steinitz variation with 4.e5

Work in progress, coming soon

The post French Defence, Classical Variation – Introduction appeared first on Chessentials.

Note 2: If you are interested in the basics of the French defence, you might want to check the following post, aptly titled „What every chess player should know about the French Defence?“

INTRODUCTION

Even though the French defence has never enjoyed the same reputation as the open games with 1… e5 or the Sicilian with 1… c5, it has always been regarded as a worthy reply to 1 e4.

Throughout the history, it has been championed by several World Champions like Alexander Alekhine, Mikhail Botvinnik or Tigran Petrosian, but there were also some non-World Champion experts like Wolfgang Uhlmann or the best player never to become World Champion, Viktor Korchnoi. It is also frequently seen on the club level where several Black players play it almost exclusively.

However, due to the rugged and manoeuvring nature of play, it is a very challenging and difficult opening to play. Players with both colours often have problems understanding it completely and handling it in the most precise manner. ¹

Fortunately, due to its popularity and the fact many prominent players employ it on a regular basis, there is an abundance of literature devoted to this opening. Black players are especially spoilt for choice because in recent years several renowned grandmasters (Vitiugov, Aagard) wrote a number of top-notch books recommending plans and ideas for Black.

However, White players also shouldn’t complain too much as I have been able to dig several books recommending different variations to deal with this opening that causes us all a lot of headache.

Therefore, without further ado, let’s check the list of best books about the French defence. I will cover books from the White perspective first and then switch to books from the Black perspective.

FRENCH DEFENCE FROM THE WHITE PERSPECTIVE

Keep it Simple: 1. e4: A Solid and Straightforward Chess Opening Repertoire for White by Christof Sielecki

Recommended line(s)

Exchange Variation with 3. exd5, followed by c4

Recommended level

Beginner, Intermediate

Brief overview

I will begin this list with a book that wasn’t intended to become a book.

You see, Keep It Simple: 1 e4 by IM Christof Sielecki a.k.a. Chessexplained first came to be as a repertoire on the website Chessable. ² However, due to its popularity after release, it got noticed by the editors of New In Chess and became the very first Chessable course that got converted to a physical book.

As the title of the course suggests, the idea is to provide White players with simple replies to all Black’s replies after 1 e4. Consequently, the choice of the Exchange variation against the French defence is not surprising.

Sielecki does try to spice things up with the “asymmetrical” pawn advance c4. In the resulting positions, he doesn’t seek to knock Black out, but simply to get a risk-free position where only White can be slightly better.

Even though this approach contains some venom, I’d imagine (most) players rated >2000 ELO would like to fight for more than a minimal edge in the opening. I, therefore, think beginners and intermediate players are the target audience of this book (although it doesn’t mean some Advanced and Expert players can’t benefit from it).

P.S. The book is also available on Forward Chess

The French Advance by Sam Collins

 Recommended line(s)

Advance variation with 3. e5

Recommended level

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Brief overview

Advancing the e5 and seizing space is a natural reaction to the advance of the black d-pawn. And indeed, the Advance variation is very common among beginners and club level players. Even some top players (Sveshnikov, Grischuk) play it regularly, with good results.

The French Advance by IM Sam Collins focuses on this variation. Over the course of 9 chapters, it not only provides us with two possibilities against the mainline (6. a3 and 6. Be2), but also covers other setups by Black like 4…Qb6 and 5… Bd7. In other words, this book provides us with an overall repertoire against the French, based on 3. e5.

The thing I liked a lot is the introductory chapter in which the author clearly and coherently explains the basic strategical concepts revolving around the French

How to Beat the French Defence: The Essential Guide to Tarrasch by Andreas Tzermiadanos

Recommended line(s)

Tarrasch with 3. Nd2

Recommended level

Intermediate, Advanced, Expert

Brief overview

The Tarrasch variation with 3 Nd2 is considered to be a very flexible and “safe” way of dealing with the French Defence. In his book (with somewhat presumptuous title) How to Beat the French Defence: The Essential Guide to Tarrasch, Greek International Master Andreas Tzermiadanos devotes 320 pages to the in-depth analysis of this approach.

Now, I am first to advise caution when a book contains the phrase “How to Beat” in the title. Nevertheless, it would appear that this tome is the only comprehensive overview of the state of the Tarrasch Defence. ³ Tzermiadanos mainly focuses on the main-lines and “tested” lines, but he also includes some of his own opinions about handling specific variation (his recommended c4 move, for example, is very rare).

The reviews of the book are mainly positive. Even Jeremy Silman commended it in his blog. There are some people who claim they find the organization of the material somewhat confusing and some people who complained that the author overlooked best replies for Black in certain lines. But, as I argued in my introductory post, that is, unfortunately, unavoidable when it comes to opening books.

All in all, I think How to Beat the French Defence: The Essential Guide to Tarrasch can serve as a good reference when preparing this variation for your own games.

The Complete French Advance: The Most Uncompromising Way To Attack The French Defence by Evgeny Sveshnikov and Vladimir Sveshnikov

Recommended line(s)

Advance variation with 3. e5

Recommended level

Intermediate, Advanced, Expert

Brief overview

When one says “French Advance”, the name that should immediately cross the mind of any self-respectable chess player is the name of famous grandmaster Evgeny Sveshnikov, who has played it for the majority of his life and who has been its greatest proponent. In the book The Complete French Advance: The Most Uncompromising Way To Attack The French Defence, co-authored with his son Vladimir, he takes a comprehensive look and presents us with his “life work”.

Through 6 chapters, Sveshnikov provides a complete overview of the French Advance – from its historical appearances to plans and ideas available to both sides and theoretical state of the variation (at the time the book was written). In contrast to The French Advance by Sam Collins which was more suitable to lower-rated players, Sveshnikov’s book dives much deeper and is more suitable to players who are already somewhat familiar with our game.

P.S. For a more comprehensive review, you might want to check this article by Davide Nastasio on Georgia Chess News

P.P.S. The book is also available on Forward Chess

Grandmaster Repertoire: 1 e4 vs The French, Caro-Kann and Philidor by Parimarjan Negi

Recommended line(s)

Main lines with 3. Nc3

Recommended level

Advanced, Expert

Brief overview

Parimarjan Negi is a former chess prodigy who became a grandmaster at the age of 13 years, 4 months and 20 days, making him the second-youngest grandmaster at a time (sixth youngest at the moment of writing because other prodigies surpassed his feat since).

Even though he later didn’t pursue the career of a chess professional afterwards, he did stay connected to the game. ⁴ In 2014, he released the first book of the multi-series devoted to the opening repertoire for White based on the move 1 e4. The book Grandmaster Repertoire: 1 e4 vs The French, Caro-Kann and Philidor offers weapons against the three openings from the title.

Against the French Defense, Negi provides us with a comprehensive repertoire based on the move 3 Nc3. Not only does he cover all three big main moves by Black (3… dxe4, 3… Nf6 and 3…. Bb4), but he also covers some rare alternatives (such as 3…a6 or 3… h6).

Negi’s lines are principled, sharp and concrete and backed up by computer analysis and top-level games. He never shies away from the fight and basically provides us with a GM-level repertoire.

Of course, that means that the book is huge, the analysis is often long and difficult and definitely not suitable for beginner or intermediate players. Also, it is questionable whether all the lines have stood the test of time.

Nevertheless, I think that every club level player will vastly benefit from familiarizing himself with some of the lines offered in this book. ⁵

P.S. The book is also available on Forward Chess

French Toast: How Harikrishna Fries 1… e6 by Pentala Harikrishna

Recommended line(s)

Main lines with 3. Nc3

Recommended level

Advanced, Expert

Brief overview

Previously on this list, we have seen a physical book that wasn’t intended to be written but merely published on Chessable. Those of you who already considered this controversial might want to stop reading at this point, because I have decided to take things even further and recommend a Chessable repertoire that didn’t become a physical book (yet) – Pentala Harikrishna’s Chessable repertoire titled French Toast: How Harikrishna Fries 1… e6. ⁶

Harikrishna is currently the 2^nd highest rated Indian player (after Anand). Just like Negi, he is a former prodigy and was the youngest Indian grandmaster at a time when he became one (in 2000).

The similarity between the two doesn’t stop there because Harikrishna – just like Negi – chooses 3 Nc3 as the main weapon against the French defence in his repertoire. However, in contrast to Negi who recommends main-lines, Harikrishna follows his own approach and provides the student with some less prominent lines.

For example, his main recommendation against the Winawer (3…Bb4) is taking on d5 (4 exd5, instead of the sharp 4 e5). Against the Steinitz (3… Nf6), he recommends the line involving the early knight retreat to e2 (4 e5 Nfd7 5 Nce2!?), formerly used by Anand with great success.

I went through the entire repertoire once and I have to say – I was impressed by the depth and the quality of the analysis. This is a true 2700 level of analysis… which unfortunately means some lines are incredibly sharp and complicated. The book is definitely not suitable for beginners, ⁷ but I think the rest of us mortals will definitely learn a thing or two by going through it and checking the lines.

FRENCH DEFENCE FROM THE BLACK PERSPECTIVE

First Steps: The French Defence by Cyrus Lakdawala

Recommended line(s)

The French Defence ⁸

Recommended level

Beginner, Intermediate

Brief overview

Cyrus Lakdawala is an International Master from the United States who has gained prominence as a highly prolific author, who has written more than 40 – mostly opening – books. First Steps: The French Defence is a beginner’s guide – Cyrus starts from the very first opening moves and explains the idea and philosophy behind the French Defence. Only then does he proceed to analyze different opening variations and provide the reader with a complete opening repertoire.

Now, whenever someone is a productive author as Lakdawala, some caution is required, simply because quantity and quality are usually negatively correlated. According to prominent chess historian Edward Winter, Lev Polugayevsky once wrote that:

‘Ninety per cent of all chess books you can open at page one and then immediately close again forever. Sometimes you see books that have been written in one month. I don’t like that. You should take at least two years for a book, or not do it at all.’ ⁹

Winter has also criticized Lakdawala himself on several occasions on his website chess history:

“ […] the vastly over-published Cyrus Lakdawala even quoted Wikipedia on matters of opinion […] “¹⁰

“ […] All too often, it seems, authors of the ‘move by move’ books (Everyman Chess) have been recruited for their availability rather than suitability – most notably, the unshakeably available Cyrus Lakdawala […]” ¹¹

Even so, I think First Steps: The French Defence is a choice worth considering (especially if you are a total beginner), due to the following:

– as I skimmed through the available sample of, I liked the way the material was presented and the writing style.

– Other reviews of the book are also very positive ¹² (most notably this one on the official website of the US Chess Federation by Vanessa West)

– I have been unable to find a better book dedicated to an absolute beginner. The only alternative I stumbled upon was Starting Out: The French, but I really disliked it on the basis of the available sample and the reviews were much more negative.

Winning With The French by Wolfgang Uhlmann

Recommended line(s)

The French Defence ¹³

Recommended level

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Brief overview

Wolfgang Uhlmann is a famous German grandmaster who belonged to the world’s strongest players in the middle of the 1960s. He is a well-known expert on the French defence who employed it almost exclusively as a reply to 1 e4 throughout his entire career.

His book titled Winning With The French ¹⁴ is not a classical reference opening book, but a game collection of Uhlmann’s French Defence games, annotated by the great master himself. I think there is a great value in having such a player explain the ideas and concepts behind Black moves, except maybe for higher rated players who are in need of concrete lines rather than general guidelines.

But everybody else will probably learn a thing or two about the French by going through this book.

The Even More Flexible French by Viktor Moskalenko

Recommended line(s)

The French Defence ¹⁵

Recommended level

Intermediate, Advanced, Expert

Brief overview

In 2008, Ukrainian GM ¹⁶ Viktor Moskalenko published the book Flexible French, which was universally praised. ¹⁷ After writing yet another book on the French Defence in the meantime (The Wonderful Winawer in 2010), in 2015 Moskalenko decided to update his first book and The Even More Flexible French was born.

The book is curious in a sense that Moskalenko doesn’t just recommend singular lines, but offers several alternatives against White’s main tries. For example, the book has both Winawer (3… Bb4) and Steinitz (3… Nf6) chapters after White plays 3 Nc3 – something you would expect from an opening for White. And indeed – despite being an opening book for BLACK, Moskalenko analyzes several interesting options for White in the last part of the book.

The reasoning is that such an approach makes you flexible and less dependant on a concrete line, but rather on the understanding of the position. That is not to say that the book is not theoretical. Just that – in contrast to Berg’s trilogy which may be regarded as encyclopaedic – it is less of a reference book and more of a “let’s arm you for practical play” type of book.

P.S. You might also want to read John Donaldson’s review on Jeremy Silman’s website and Dennis Monokroussos’s review on his website thechessmind

P.P.S. The book is also available on Forward Chess

Grandmaster Repertoire: The French Defence by Emanuel Berg

Recommended line(s)

The French Defence ¹⁸

Recommended level

Advanced, Expert

Brief overview

As I have mentioned previously, Negi’s book on 1 e4 repertoire was challenging, demanding and thick. It would appear it is no coincidence for a book from the Grandmaster Repertoire series, as the book by Swedish Grandmaster Emanuel Berg Grandmaster Repertoire: The French Defence follow suit.

The book offers a comprehensive, in-depth French Defence repertoire for the Black player. It is divided in three volumes, each devotes to a particular variation/set of variations, as follows:

• Volume I – Winawer (3 Nc3 Bb4) – everything apart from the most critical mainline with 7 Qg4
• Volume II – Winawer (3 Nc3 Bb4) – the most critical mainline with 7 Qg4
• Volume III – everything else, with the main focus on the Tarrasch (3 Nd2 ) against which Berg recommends 3 …. Nf6

Berg’s trilogy is certainly the most theoretical and encyclopedic series about the French Defence that will provide you with everything you need to fight against the French Defence.

However, the question is whether an average club player needs a book of this size (especially since three volumes means it costs more). Such a thick volume is more likely to suffer from problems mentioned in the introductory article of opening book series – namely, analysis of variations that are extremely unlikely to be met over the board.

Even though I am a huge theory nerd, in recent years I have noticed I have started preferring more practical opening books. Nevertheless, some people prefer to have a huge reference book which they can use both to learn critical lines by heart and to consult it when they encounter a less familiar variation (something that is not guaranteed by The Flexible French).

As usual life, it is a matter of preference. If money and time are not huge obstacles, you probably won’t go wrong with Berg’s book. If they are, you might do better to choose something else.

P.S. The books are also available on Forward Chess:

• Volume I: Winawer (3 Nc3 Bb4)
• Volume II: Winawer (3 Nc3 Bb4)
• Volume III: Other

Playing the French (Grandmaster Guide) by Jacob Aagard and Nikolaos Ntirlis

Recommended line(s)

The French Defence ¹⁹

Recommended level

Advanced, Expert

Brief overview

It would appear that Black players wishing to employ the French Defence are spoilt for choice nowadays. Even though I have already included two thick and demanding books, about the French Defence on this list, I simply couldn’t bring myself not to mention yet another tome, written by famous chess trainer Jacob Aagard, in collaboration with chess expert Nikolaos Ntirlis.

Over 288 pages, the authors provide a comprehensive French Defence repertoire for the Black player. Their recommendations are the Steinitz (3… Nf6) against 3 Nc3 and the principled 3… c5 against the Tarrasch (3 Nd2). The authors also analyze the Advance Variation, the annoying exchange variation, the King’s Indian Attack and even the rare Wing Gambit.

It seems to me that this book lies somewhere between Berg’s book and Moskalenko’s book – it is not as thick and theroetical as Grandmaster Repertoire: The French Defence, but it is a tad more systematic and straightforward than The Flexible French. I’d say that a serious French Defence player won’t go wrong by getting any of them (or even all of them) ²⁰

Ultimately, it is a matter of taste.

P.S. You might also want to check the review on Jeremy Silman’s website

P.P.S. The book is also available on Forward Chess

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