26 Jul 05
I play the french as black, and my best record on this site is against the exchange variation. This is probably because most of the people who play the French Exchange tend to relatively weak players hoping for a quick draw. The position is objectively equal, or if either side has a slight edge it is White; but it is not a dead draw; Black has ways to unbalance the position without taking unnecessary risks. Morphy and Alekhine used to play the French exchange as White, presumably because they liked the relatively open positions resulting, rather than because of it's objective merits. Opening theory has moved on since then though, and few strong players today will settle for equality as White after two moves when they can keep up the pressure for far longer with 3.Nc3, 3.Nd2 or the advance variation.
26 Jul 05
Originally posted by SiskinThanks.....it just seems that if you're white and dont play the french yourself you're allowing the game to go into the other players field of knowledge if u dont exchange
I play the french as black, and my best record on this site is against the exchange variation. This is probably because most of the people who play the French Exchange tend to relatively weak players hoping for a quick draw. The position is objectively equal, or if either side has a slight edge it is White; but it is not a dead draw; Black has ways to unbalan ...[text shortened]... es when they can keep up the pressure for far longer with 3.Nc3, 3.Nd2 or the advance variation.
27 Jul 05
Originally posted by SerendipityNot necessarily heading to a draw... As a French defense player I find this variation easier to handle than other more demanding ones in the French. Nonetheless, the exchange should be taken seriously as this is a variation played by Kasparov:
If white exchanges pawns would u say the game is heading for a draw?? is there any active play after e4xd5 and e6xd5
[Event "Tilburg"]
[Site "Tilburg"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "6"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[White "Kasparov Garry"]
[Black "N Short"]
[ECO "C01"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "116"]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bg4
5.h3 Bh5 6.Qe2+ Qe7 7.Be3 Nc6 8.Nc3 O-O-O
9.g4 Bg6 10.O-O-O f6 11.a3 Qd7 12.Nd2 f5
13.Nb3 Nf6 14.f3 Bd6 15.Qd2 Rhe8 16.Bg5 fxg4
17.hxg4 Qf7 18.Nb5 Kb8 19.Nxd6 cxd6 20.Bd3 Bxd3
21.Qxd3 h6 22.Bd2 Re6 23.Na5 Nxa5 24.Bxa5 Rde8
25.Bd2 Nd7 26.Rde1 Nf8 27.Rxe6 Rxe6 28.Rh5 Rf6
29.f4 Ne6 30.f5 Nd8 31.b4 Nc6 32.b5 Ne7
33.a4 Nc8 34.a5 Qe8 35.Rh3 Rf7 36.Re3 Re7
37.Rxe7 Qxe7 38.Qf3 Qf7 39.Bb4 Kc7 40.Qc3+ Kd8
41.Qf3 Kc7 42.Kd2 Kd8 43.Kd1 Kc7 44.Be1 Ne7
45.a6 b6 46.Bh4 g5 47.Bf2 Qf6 48.Qh1 Kd7
49.c4 Ke8 50.Kd2 Kf7 51.cxd5 Kg7 52.Kd3 Qf7
53.Bg3 Qe8 54.Kc4 Nxf5 55.gxf5 Qe2+ 56.Kc3 Qe3+
57.Kc4 Qe2+ 58.Kc3 1/2-1/2
[Event "Paris"]
[Site "Paris"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "2"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Kasparov Garry"]
[Black "E Bareev"]
[ECO "C01"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "92"]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nc6
5.Bb5 Bd6 6.c4 dxc4 7.d5 a6 8.Ba4 b5
9.dxc6 bxa4 10.O-O Ne7 11.Qxa4 O-O 12.Qxc4 Be6
13.Qc2 Bf5 14.Qa4 Bd3 15.Re1 Bb5 16.Qc2 Nxc6
17.a3 Qd7 18.Nc3 Bd3 19.Qa4 Rfe8 20.Be3 Ne5
21.Qxd7 Nxd7 22.Rad1 Bg6 23.Nd5 Ne5 24.Nxe5 Rxe5
25.f3 Bc2 26.Rc1 Bb3 27.Nxc7 Rc8 28.Rc3 Rxc7
29.Rxb3 f5 30.Kf1 Rd5 31.Rb8+ Kf7 32.Rd8 Re7
33.Bf2 Rxe1+ 34.Bxe1 Ke6 35.Ra8 Bxh2 36.Rxa6+ Rd6
37.Rxd6+ Bxd6 38.Ke2 Kd5 39.Kd3 h5 40.a4 g5
41.b4 g4 42.a5 g3 43.a6 Kc6 44.b5 Kb6
45.Ba5+ Ka7 46.Bd8 1-0
But that's Kasparov 🙂 I believe that it is posible to add the exchange in a any decent repertoire for a White player and obtain a reasonable middlegame against the French. However, this variation is not the most testing against the French defense.
28 Jul 05
Originally posted by JusuhThe 4.c4 variation of the French Exchange has gone downhill. Actually, I think it's the worst variation of the 3 playable moves here: 4. c4, 4. Nf3, and 4. Bd3. John Watson gives a good bit of analysis on this variation in "Play the French". I need to go to work now, but I will type some of the pertinent stuff up later.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd exd 4.c4! and game far from draw
28 Jul 05
Originally posted by !~TONY~!it might not be the best at top level but is certainly playable.
The 4.c4 variation of the French Exchange has gone downhill. Actually, I think it's the worst variation of the 3 playable moves here: 4. c4, 4. Nf3, and 4. Bd3. John Watson gives a good bit of analysis on this variation in "Play the French". I need to go to work now, but I will type some of the pertinent stuff up later.
a friend of mine is 1700 rated otb and this opening has his highest win % even against players rated higher than him.
i started playing it to get away from the advance, get some different positions