The French Defence Archives - Chessentials https://chessentials.com/category/learn-chess/chess-openings/the-french-defence/ Chess blog about chess tactics, chess games and chess books Mon, 10 Apr 2023 18:43:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://chessentials.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/cropped-vjeks2-2-1-32x32.png The French Defence Archives - Chessentials https://chessentials.com/category/learn-chess/chess-openings/the-french-defence/ 32 32 Burn Variation of the French Defence https://chessentials.com/burn-variation-of-the-french-defence/ https://chessentials.com/burn-variation-of-the-french-defence/#respond Mon, 10 Apr 2023 17:37:42 +0000 https://chessentials.com/?p=10888 This article is part of a series of articles covering different Opening Variations. You can find the complete list of Openings/Variations covered on the following link. Introduction After covering the Alekhine-Chatard variation of the French...

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]]> This article is part of a series of articles covering different Opening Variations. You can find the complete list of Openings/Variations covered on the following link.

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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]]> https://chessentials.com/burn-variation-of-the-french-defence/feed/ 0 The Alekhine-Chatard Attack https://chessentials.com/the-alekhine-chatard-attack/ https://chessentials.com/the-alekhine-chatard-attack/#respond Mon, 13 Feb 2023 13:50:54 +0000 https://chessentials.com/?p=10794 This article is part of a series of articles covering different Opening Variations. You can find the complete list of Openings/Variations covered on the following link. Introduction After covering the McCutcheon Variation of the French...

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]]> This article is part of a series of articles covering different Opening Variations. You can find the complete list of Openings/Variations covered on the following link.

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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]]> https://chessentials.com/the-alekhine-chatard-attack/feed/ 0 McCutcheon Variation of the French Defense https://chessentials.com/mccutcheon-variation-of-the-french-defense/ https://chessentials.com/mccutcheon-variation-of-the-french-defense/#respond Fri, 10 Feb 2023 12:36:35 +0000 https://chessentials.com/?p=10803 This article is part of a series of articles covering different Opening Variations. You can find the complete list of Openings/Variations covered on the following link. Introduction After introducing the Classical Variation of the French...

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]]> This article is part of a series of articles covering different Opening Variations. You can find the complete list of Openings/Variations covered on the following link.

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

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]]> https://chessentials.com/mccutcheon-variation-of-the-french-defense/feed/ 0 French Defence, Classical Variation – Introduction https://chessentials.com/french-defence-classical-variation-introduction/ https://chessentials.com/french-defence-classical-variation-introduction/#respond Thu, 09 Feb 2023 18:13:08 +0000 https://chessentials.com/?p=10802 This article is part of a series of articles covering different Opening Variations. You can find the complete list of Openings/Variations covered on the following link. Introduction Back in 2020, I published an article on...

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]]> This article is part of a series of articles covering different Opening Variations. You can find the complete list of Openings/Variations covered on the following link.

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

 

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]]> https://chessentials.com/french-defence-classical-variation-introduction/feed/ 0 Best French Defence Books https://chessentials.com/best-french-defence-books/ https://chessentials.com/best-french-defence-books/#comments Fri, 20 Mar 2020 23:37:23 +0000 https://chessentials.com/?p=10005 Note: This post is a part of the series of posts about best chess books divided by openings. If you are wondering how I select the books I recommend, or what other openings I have...

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]]> Note: This post is a part of the series of posts about best chess books divided by openings. If you are wondering how I select the books I recommend, or what other openings I have covered at the moment, I refer you to the reference post of the entire series.

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 2nd 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:

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:

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

The post Best French Defence Books appeared first on Chessentials.

]]> https://chessentials.com/best-french-defence-books/feed/ 1 What Every Chess Player Should Know About The French Defence https://chessentials.com/the-french-defence/ https://chessentials.com/the-french-defence/#respond Fri, 20 Mar 2020 23:27:47 +0000 https://chessentials.com/?p=10004 Note: This post is a part of the series of posts about chess openings. Each opening will have two posts devoted to it: „What every chess player should know about XYZ opening and „Best chess...

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The post What Every Chess Player Should Know About The French Defence appeared first on Chessentials.

]]> Note: This post is a part of the series of posts about chess openings. Each opening will have two posts devoted to it: „What every chess player should know about XYZ opening and „Best chess books about XYZ opening“. If you are wondering how I select the books I recommend or what other openings I have covered at the moment, I refer you to the reference post of the entire series.

Note 2: You can find the post devoted to the best chess books about the French Defence here.

Note 3: All .pgn files (game texts) used in this post are available to download for free on .pgn downloads page

Introduction

The French Defence is a chess opening employed by the player handling the black pieces in reply to the advance of the king’s pawn by White, arising after the moves 1 e4 e6!?.

According to Batsford’s Modern Chess Openings, the French Defence was named after a correspondence game between the London and the Paris Chess Club in 1834, in which the French team employed this defence and scored a convincing win (even though the opening itself was known since the 15th century).

The French Defence belongs to the so-called Semi-Open group of openings, the characteristic of which is White playing 1 e4 on the first move and Black replying with anything else apart from 1…e5 (which would lead to Open Games).

The intention behind the move 1… e6 is clear – Black delays the fight for the center for one move and prepares to move his queen’s pawn on the next move (2… d5). Black avoids the symmetry from the very first move and allows White to grab space with eventual e5 advance, claiming that he will be able to undermine White’s advanced center later in the game.

The French Defence is, therefore, regarded as a counter-attacking opening, utilized by ambitious players who want to play for the win with the Black pieces. Considering that Black does concede space, it is sometimes considered risky. But in the majority of games, it will lead to a sharp, uncompromising and double-edged battle 1

In the remainder of the post, we will first make a brief overview of the common opening variations of the French defence. Then we will describe typical pawn structures resulting from these variations and we will describe typical plans, ideas, and maneuvers connected to the pawn structures in order to increase our understanding of the resulting middle game positions.

Finally, we will wrap this article up list of prominent players who have played the French Defence throughout their life.

Hope you will enjoy it and find it useful!

An overview of variations

After 1 e4 e6, 9/10 games will see White advancing his queen’s pawn and Black replying in the same fashion – 2 d4 d5.

This can be considered as the main tabiya 2 of the French Defence. Now White is at the crossroads and has 4 big moves at his disposal. We will mention them in turn.

The Winawer Variation

In the diagram position above, by far the most theoretical (and critical) move is the move 3 Nc3:

This move defends the e4 pawn and also influences the important d5 square (in contrast to 3 Nd2, which we will examine later). The drawback is that the knight on c3 obstructs the pawn on c2 (preventing the reinforcing c3 move).

Also, the knight can easily be pinned after 3… Bb4, which leads to one of the main opening variations of the French Defence –  the razor-sharp Winawer Variation:

This variation has fascinated chess-players for almost 100 now. It leads to a complicated tactical melee, where both sides have to be ready to make ‘ugly-looking’ moves and sacrifice material. White usually advances e5 and plays on the kingside, while Black counter-attacks on the other side of the board.

The Classical Variation

Of course, Black is not forced to enter the Winawer variation. Apart from the minor third moves after 3 Nc3, such as 3… Nc6!?, 3 ….a6!? and 3… h6!?, a big theoretical move is the „simple“ development of the king’s knight with 3… Nf6, leading to the so-called Classical variation:

The Classical Variation usually leads to a more positional play (compared to Winawer) after 4 e5 Nfd7, entering the so-called Steinitz variation:

although 4 e5 is also not forced – the development of the bishop to g5 – 4 Bg5 is also fairly common, after which Black plays either the more fighting 4… Bb4 (McCutcheon variation), 4… dxe4 (Burn Variation) or 4…Be7 (which may lead to the dangerous and fascinating Alekhine-Chatard attack arising after 5 e5 Nfd7 6 h4!?).

The Tarrasch Variation

As we have seen above, White players playing 3 Nc3 need to be prepared for both 3…Bb4 and 3… Nf6, which is the reason why 3 Nc3 is considered to be most difficult and demanding move to play.

It is not surprising that many players choose the alternative development of the knight on the third move – 3 Nd2 – leading to the so-called Tarrasch Variation:

The idea behind the move is simple. White defends the e4 pawn, doesn’t block the c-pawn and renders any potential Bb4 pin useless. The downside is that the knight on d2 obstructs the bishop on c1 and doesn’ control the d5 square.

Black now has two main moves at his disposal – 3… c5 or 3… Nf6. In both cases, the play is slower, more strategical and positional in nature than in the Winawer variation.

The Rubinstein Variation

White is not the only one who has a choice in the main lines of the French Defence. If Black doesn’t want to learn a lot of theory and differentiate between 3 Nc3 and 3 Nd2, he can always exchange his d for the enemy e-pawn early in the game with 3… dxe4:

[Event “?”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2020.03.21”]
[Round “?”]
[White “The French Defence”]
[Black “The Rubinstein Variation”]
[Result “*”]
[ECO “C10”]
[PlyCount “6”]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 {The starting point of the Rubinstein Variation.
Note that Black can play this irrespective of whether the White knight is on
c3 or d2 – White doesn’t have a better move than recapturing himself.} *

This leads to the so-called Rubinstein Variation. It is considered somewhat passive for Black (less space and influence in the center), but very solid (no weaknesses).

The Advance Variation

Instead of developing the knight, White can choose to advance his e-pawn on move 3 with 3 e5, highlighting one of the reasons why the French Defence belongs to the so-called Semi-Open games:

The Advance Variation leads to what is considered the 'proper French' pawn structure 3 and leads to maneuvering play behind the pawn chains.

It was considered as the most principled variation in the past, but has lost its popualrity in the modern era (although some players – like Grischuk and Svidler – still play it on the highest level).

The Exchange Variation

If White wants to avoid all risk whatsoever, he can always consider taking on d5 on move 3 with 3 exd5, leading to the so-called Exchange Variation:

The Exchange variation immediately leads to a symmetrical pawn structure and has a rather drawish reputation. Many French defence players dislike playing against it – especially when they are faced with a lower-rated opponent the expect to beat.

On the other hand, it is not the most ambitious approach by White (he can hardly count on a serious advantage) and is widely regarded as tasteless and 'cowardly', as the following meme testifies:

(I am sorry if you expected something funny, I should have warned you about the kind of memes I make 😀)

Miscellaneous Variations

Last but not least, since French is relatively flexible opening, there is a bunch of miscellaneous lines that do exist, but are not encountered as often as the main variations.

By far the most serious of these alternatives is the move 2 d3, leading to the Fischer's favourite King's Indian Attack:

while other options such as 2 b3!? or the Wing Gambit 2 Nf3 d5 3 e5 c5 4 b4!? do have a right to exist, as well.

An overview of typical pawn structures

After getting acquainted with the introductory opening moves of most important variations of the French Defence, it is time to learn something about the typical French Defence middlegame.

Before getting to the concrete typical plans, ideas and maneuvers, I have decided to take a moment to reflect on the typical pawn structures arising from different variations of the French Defence. I think that middlegames plans and ideas are tightly connected to the resulting pawn structure and that understanding of the structure determines the understanding of the opening as a whole (and the strength of the player).

Therefore, I have singled out four most common pawn structures resulting from the French Defence.

c3+d4+e5 by White vs e6+d5+c5 by Black

Typical of: Winawer Variation, Classical Variation, Advance Variation, Tarrasch Variation

The characteristic pawn structure of the French Defence, often called “The French” structure. White grabs space on the kingside with the move e5. Black tries to undermine the pawn chain at its base (d4) with the c5 advance, to which White replies with c3 (or has a pawn on c3 already in case of Winawer variation).

In subsequent play White tries to utilize his kingside space advantage, while Black tries to attack the center by attacking c3 or d4 (or undermining it with f6).

c3+d4+e5(+a3) by White vs e6+d5+c4 by Black

Typical of: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation

A subvariation of the previous structure. In certain lines of the Winawer and Advance variations, Black closes the French structure with c4. This results in a very closed position, where both sides maneuver behind their pawn chains.

White tries to win on the kingside where he has space (f4-f5 advance) or to undermine the structure on the other side with b3. Black usually tries to bring his pieces to the kingside and use the opening of the position to create threats against White’s king.

f4+e5 by White vs e6+d5 by Black

Typical of: Classical Variation

A typical pawn structure for the Classical variation, where Black manages to get rid of the pawn on d4. On one hand, it weakens White’s pawn chain, on the other hand, it gives him the d4 square for his pieces.

In the resulting play, White usually tries to advance f5 (and potentially f6) and mount attack on the black king. Black, on the other hand, tries to advance his queenside pawns and create play on the opposite side of the board.

c2/c3/c4+d4 by White vs e6+c6 by Black

Typical of: Rubinstein Variation

The Rubinstein Variation leads to a completely different pawn structure where White's d-pawn faces the pawns on e6 and c6 – the so-called „scissors“. The similar structure (resulting from the exchange of the White's e-pawn and the Black's d-pawn) can arise from many other openings (Caro-Kann, Scandinavian, Philidor, Steinitz Ruy Lopez etc.). GM Alexander Delchev (with whom I took 2 private lessons way back in 2014) called it the „Spanish Structure“.

In general, White's position is considered to be slightly better due to his space advantage and free piece development. His active ideas include queenside advance with b4-b5 and/or timely break in the center with d4-d5. His pieces can often spring to life and create direct threats against the black king.

However, Black's position is very solid and he has very clear plans (connected with c5 or e5 pawn break). Therefore, many Black players decide to go for this structure – and enjoy good results.

c2/c3/c4+d4 by White vs d5+c7/c6 by Black

Typical of: Exchange Variation

Last but not least, the dreaded symmetrical structure arising from the Exchange Variation. The same pawn structure can arise from several other openings (such as the Petroff or the Berlin Ruy Lopez).

Due to the symmetry and lack of pawn weaknesses, this position is considered to be very drawish (and French Exchange very boring). White has some ideas connected to the kingside expansion, or with the creation of the weaknesses on the queenside (with Qb3 or c4, for example), but objectively he can't hope for much. For Black, it is very difficult to create imbalances and play for the win, though.

An overview of typical plans, ideas and maneuvers

The French Defence one of the most complicated and difficult openings to handle for average club players. Due to the variety of resulting pawn structures and the fact the typical French Defence structure is locked, leading to maneuvering, non-forcing play, understanding plays a crucial role. Playing behind long pawn chains, strategical maneuvering, ragged play, tactical variations, open center, closed center, etc…You name it - French Defence features it all.

The complexity and the nature of play are reasons why many club players find it difficult to handle (especially with White pieces).

Nevertheless, there are some common strategical concepts and ideas typical of French defence play that might help you to handle it more successfully.

I will try to describe them in the remainder of this answer and connect them to the opening variation of the French chosen.

It is important to retain the flexibility of thinking and not to take them as axioms. Thinks of these French laws as rules of thumb; they are not to be followed blindly and are highly dependant on the position on the board.

Black’s light-squared bishop is a problem piece in the opening

Considering that Black erects his pawn chain on light-squares (e6-d5-c4), his light-squared bishop on c8 is often restricted and turns out to be a problematic piece.

The fight “for-and-against” the development of the light-squared bishop is one of the central ideas in the French Defence and the evaluation of the position often depends on who wins this battle. It is often considered that once Black solves the problem of his bishop, he has equalized (at the very least).

However, there are certain caveats. There are some variations where Black can head for an early exchange of the light-squared bishops. You might think it solves the problem immediately, but it usually costs some time(tempi) and creates other type of problems (mainly connected with lack of development).

This is indirectly proven by the existence of the so-called Advance variation of Caro-Kann:

Since his bishop is developed outside of the pawn chain, on the active g6-b1 diagonal, this is often regarded as the “good version” of the French Defence. However, the practice has proven that the early development of the bishop has its drawbacks – mainly connected to the inability of the bishop to return to the defence of Black’s queenside, which might become vulnerable.

Therefore, don’t just blindly follow the rule and try to exchange/solve the problem of your bishop. As usual in chess (and life) – timing is of the essence.

White erects a c3-d4-e5 pawn chain and tries to maintain it as long as possible.

Typical of: Advance French, Steinitz Variation, Winawer Variation, Tarrasch variation

In almost all variations of the French, White tries to gain space in the center. If he manages to stabilize and gain control there, he might use his space advantage to attack the weaknesses on the kingside.

Most typical moves include Qg4, Nh3-Nf4, h4-h5 followed by Rh3, etc.

Black tries to undermine the center with the c5 and f6 breaks.

Typical of: Advance French, Steinitz Variation, Winawer Variation, Tarrasch variation

This is tightly connected to the previous point. When White errects a central pawn chain, Black has to try to break it somehow. With c5 Black tries to put pressure on d4, with timely f6, Black tries to undermine White’s position from the other side.

White tries to plant a knight to d4.

If this knight is maintained and supported, White should get some advantage. Because this often comes in combination with the typical “bad French bishop”, even the driest and simple positions don’t lead to automatic equality.

White avoids castling and keeps his king in the center

In many lines of the French Defence, White (and Black also) don't necessarily castle, but prefer to keep the king in the center. A very famous example is the very first game between Mikhail Tal and Mikhail Botvinnik from their 1960 World Championship Match:

White plays a4, followed up by Ba3 (even at the cost of a-pawn)

Since his pawns are on dark-squares (c3-d4-e5), White often has trouble finding a useful role for his own dark-squared bishop. One possible way of developing it is by developing it on the a3-f8 diagonal. That is why White often plays a4 to open the a3 square for the bishop – even when it costs a pawn. The following game between Leonid Stein and Tigran Petrosian is a beautiful example:

Therefore, Black often prevents White from playing the a4 advance whatsoever – for example in the following line of the Winawer:

Model players

Last, but not least, in order to get acquainted with the opening (and to study it properly) it is important to look at th model games. Fortunately, throughout the history of the game, several players have been great proponents of the French Defence. On this list, we will mention a few notable names (in no particular order):

  • Mikhail Botvinnik – sixth World Champion was a huge champion of this opening and played it almost during the entire life (he switched to Caro-Kann toward the end of his active years)
  • Viktor Korchnoi – „Viktor the terrible“, one of the greatest players never to become World Champion, also played the French during his entire life. It perfectly suited his fighting, counter-attacking style.
  • Tigran Petrosian – the ninth World Champion also played a hell lot of French Defence games throughout his life.
  • Nigel Short – the French was the main weapon of the former World Championship finalist, even though he didn't dare venture it in the match against Kasparov in 1993.
  • Wolfgang Uhlmann – a strong German grandmaster who played the French defence almost exclusively and later wrote a book about the opening on the basis of his games.
  • Nikita Vitiugov – a member of the 2700 club and a huge French Defence expert.

Honorable mention: Vassily Ivanchuk, Veselin Topalov, Magnus Carlsen, Lev Psakhis, Alexander Morozevitch, Varuzhan Akobian, Rafael Vaganian, Smbat Lputian..

... and many others! 🙂

Conclusion

Phew! We have finally reached the end of this lengthy introductory post to the French Defence.

I hope you have enjoyed it, found it helpful and that it has provided you with an idea of what the French Defence is all about.

Let me know what you think about it and about this format, and also which opening would you like to see covered next 🙂

Until next time!

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