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far1ey 28-Sep-07, 06:56 |
 French Defence1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3/Nd2 Nf6 Anything i should know before embarking into the french defence? Also, I would be glad of any advice on how to treat the Alekhine-chartard attack - i read one of mybookrunsdeep annotations on it which helped but didnt cover the Qd3 variation. (...Bxg5 hxg5 Qxg5 Qd3! when g6 seems to be recommended by chesspublishing (although my data is a year or two old) but h6 seems better to hold onto the pawn. Thanks, far1ey |
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wrecktangle 28-Sep-07, 15:34 |
The French Defense... Be prepared to play and lose a number of games until you "get it." Be prepared to live with cramped play, many times with an uncastled King as White throws insults at you...and be ready for the crushing games where better players who understand the French, absolutely shackle you to the wall with it. ...but after you learn it, enjoy the fear in the eyes of those who abhor it. Many is the time where my opponent would steer into a inferior opening just to avoid the French (so yeah, learn the Exchange Variation and the King's Indian Attack because you will see a lot of those from the weak-willed wimps). ...and then have a blast as you drag your opponents into the Blue cage of the Winawer (notice the first 3 letters). In my eyes, no other defense has such cutting characteristics...except for maybe the Nimzo-Indian. |
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e4e6 22-Oct-07, 04:19 |
Having played the French for a very long time (uhm...hint hint...see the handle I use), I can tell you what I have discovered over the years. This advice may be a big help to you in the long run if you intend to make the French your main defense to 1.e4. 1. Don't get greedy. When faced with the exchange or advance variation, you must be willing to draw. That doesn't mean the position is drawn, but White can deaden it if he wishes. This is the main reason why I have quit playing the French over the board against players rated below 2000 over the board, unless I am specifically preparing for a big tournament in which I am playing in the open section of. Now, of course, if White tries to go further than just a draw, you may be able to squeeze a win out of it, but don't force the issue. You will lose that way. 2. Against 3.Nc3, 3...Nf6 and 3...Bb4 are better than 3...dxe4. Black gets a compact position after 3...dxe4, but he is constantly on the defensive, and usually stands slightly worse. He has a better chance to equalize against 3...Nf6 or 3...Bb4. Now, to answer you specific question, while I may have only faced the Alekhine-Chatard attack 4 times, I am actually 4 and 0 with no draws against it. The secret, don't take the pawn. I have rejected it every time with 6...c5! My latest and greatest win was against a master named Daniel Sharp in the 2003 US Open in Los Angeles, California. You have to know the theory to make 6...c5 work, but it's worth the effort. 3. Against 3.Nd2, I at first played 3...Nf6, but with many painful losses, and some long analysis, as the Tarrasch has always been for me the hardest line to face, I have found out that Black is actually best off playing 3...c5. If all Black wants is a draw, then after 4.exd5, he can take back with the Queen (4...Qxd5) or play the old main line (4...exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6). If Black wants more, I would highly recommend the more modern treatment of the Tarrasch, namely 4...exd5 5.Nf3 Nf6 and answering 5.Bb5+ with the bishop interpose (5...Bd7), and after 6.Qe2+, 6...Be7 (the ending after 6...Qe7 is worse for Black), and while this does allow 7.dxc5, the pawn sacrifice is only temporary as Black gets it back around move 13 or 14, unless of course white specifically tries to do nothing but hold on to the pawn, but then his position is so full of holes that black can be no worse off than white, and likely slightly better. |
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One thing you need to know about the French... |
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scottyad 30-Oct-07, 00:33 |
Something to keep in mind. |
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e4e6 01-Nov-07, 04:24 |
If you think the French is that easy to beat, then you must think that White scores at least 60% against it. That said, I'll play 100 games against you as Black, and bet you my life savings that I score at least 40.5 against you (In reality, I'd score higher than that, but you talk like the French is that easy to beat). Before making blanket statements about playing ...c4, Black rarely plays ...c4. Only times Black would play ...c4 (or should, is more like it): 1. Advance variation with 6.a3. 6...c4 isn't Black's only option, but with the weakened b3 square, Black can push c4, and then castle queenside where he is safe, and will attack queenside. 2. Winawer Variation (positional lines, like 7.Nf3 or 7.a4) if he intends to castle queenside. If going kingside, you typically trade on d4 3. An offbeat line of the Open Tarrasch, but there, White has already traded on d5 (4.exd5 exd5) 4. Occasionally in the MacCutcheon Now off to Scottyad's idiotic comment. There is ONE LINE in the classical where Black has to avoid the "Greek Gift Sacrifice". White doesn't get a mating attack in 3...Nf6 lines if Black has even a remote clue what to do next. After 4.Bg5, Black has 3 perfectly sound moves: 4...Be7, 4...Bb4, or 4...dxe4. The French is the best weapon if you want active play with a safer king than in the Sicilian. The only downfall to the French is the Bad Bishop. However, if you know how to manage Bad Bishops, you'll never have a problem with the defense. |
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Sorry e4e6 Tonight I played in the 2nd round of my club championship. I was white, my opponent played the French. My opponent is rated 2190 and is a fantastic player. In our post game analysis he admitted I was on the verge of beating him until a tactical oversight followed by an outright tactical blunder (both by me) gave him the win, but that was well into the middle game and I had come out of the opening with an unarguably winning game. My GK record against the French is: P15 W9 L4 D2 - 66.7% and this has nothing to do with the ratings of my opponents because in general their ratings were around the 1600-1800 range. |
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P.S. |
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scottyad 01-Nov-07, 19:41 |
That's no mistake, neilskye |
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e4e6 02-Nov-07, 04:39 |
If I was in the "club champ's" situation, I'd play the French also. Chess isn't all about let's see how quick we can win. Yes, most miniatures do end up being won by White. However, anybody who isn't so impatient that they must win in 20 moves or else become bored with themselves wouldn't be making a mistake by playing the French. That said, I've had many sharp positions where Black has won quickly too. However, who cares???? Just because White wins the quick ones and Black has the long-term advantages doesn't warrant such a comment that a club champ playing the French as Black should be such a surprise. People with defensive mindsets, like myself, would rather have the long-term advantages than some stupid early game trap that maybe 1 in 100 fall for among those with a 2000+ rating. Generally speaking, if you can score 45-47% with Black, it's par for the course. If you can score over .500 with Black, something must be right about what you're doing. My record with Black (Over the board) with the French Defense, in 195 games is: Wins - 82 Losses - 69 Draws - 44 A .533 record. A number of these wins come against players rated over 2200 back when I was about 1900. Overall as Black (in 721 games): Wins - 303 Losses - 273 Draws - 145 A .521 record. Anything over .500 with Black says one must be doing something right, and 27% of all my games as Black have been the French Defense! Not to mention, among all openings I've played as White, the French is probably one of the few that I'm sub-.500 against. In 730 games as White in OTB tournaments my record is: Wins - 309 Losses - 232 Draws - 189 A .553 record. White side of the French, in 49 games played: Wins - 18 Losses - 22 Draws - 9 A .459 record. Therefore, all this BS about how one shouldn't play the French because White gets the quick wins, and how White wins this, and White wins that, and it's shocking how a strong player could play such a stupid defense like the French, yada yada yada...go put a sock in it! Fischer talked trash about the French, and his worst win percentage as White came against the French. There isn't a better defense out there. 1.e4 e6!! |
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scottyad 02-Nov-07, 05:26 |
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N.B. This tourney will not start until the end of January at the earliest so don't get excited about it just yet. |
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e4e6 17-Nov-07, 00:00 |
Here's how to win with the French The link to the site is: www.charlottechess.com (Click the link to Game 712) Or, if you are reading this Thanksgiving Day or later, where the site has been updated by then, here's a direct link to the game (I'm of course Black) www.charlottechess.com French RULES! |
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schnarre 06-Dec-07, 22:10 |
e4e6 |
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