French Defense

Originally posted by Sicilian Smaug
I don't think he meant 'good for a win' to mean 'Game won' 😉

Phew!🙂
I have a big game at school next week, I know my opponent will start 1.e4
I was going to abandon the French, I don't like to play for a draw, good to know that black still has winning chances after the 3rd move!!

😀

Originally posted by Turfmoor
Phew!🙂
I have a big game at school next week, I know my opponent will start 1.e4
I was going to abandon the French, I don't like to play for a draw, good to know that black still has winning chances after the 3rd move!!

😀

Did you play the french back when you were 170? Or 1.e4? How did you meet the french when you faced it before?

Originally posted by Bedlam
Did you play the french back when you were 170? Or 1.e4? How did you meet the french when you faced it before?

I'm easy, 🙂 I always play 1.e4
otb I play, depending on my mood,
1.e4 e6
2.d4 d5
3.e5

1.e4 e6
2.d4 d5
3.Nc3 Bb4
4.Bd3

1.e4 e6
2.d4 d5
3.Nc3 Nf6
4.Bg5

and even sometimes KIA
🙂

Originally posted by Turfmoor
I'm easy, 🙂 I always play 1.e4
otb I play, depending on my mood,
1.e4 e6
2.d4 d5
3.e5

1.e4 e6
2.d4 d5
3.Nc3 Bb4
4.Bd3

1.e4 e6
2.d4 d5
3.Nc3 Nf6
4.Bg5

and even sometimes KIA
🙂

You play main line french defences from both sides? 🙂

Surely you must have come across Nd2 before? 🙂

What is your record with it or against it?

Originally posted by Bedlam
You play main line french defences from both sides? 🙂

Surely you must have come across Nd2 before? 🙂

What is your record with it or against it?

of course I have seen Nd2, I haven't/wouldn't play it as white

my results with black against Nd2 are very good, I think the counter attacks starting with f6 suit my style

Originally posted by cmsMaster
Now that I've got the attention of every French player on this forum I have a question about this defense from the white perspective. How does the theory of 3.Nc3 compare to that of the Tarrasch? And which do you less like to face and/or have more trouble against?

3.Nc3 has more theory from White's POV I think. The Winawer is quite theoretical and the Classical (3...Nf6) is similar to the 3...Nf6 lines in the Tarrasch. I don't know much about the 3...c5 lines in the Tarrasch but it doesn't look as complicated, Black usually ends up with an IQP.

I play 3...Nf6 against either the Tarrasch or Nc3 so they end up fairly similar. You have to watch for the knight going to b5 in the Nc3 lines though as I found to my cost when I started playing Nc3.

Hope that helps a bit.

well have a look at Khalifman's book on Anand's repertoire and feel the weight of the volume dealing with nc3 French.I'm going back to the Tarrasch...

Those of you who play the french, consider joining the French Defense clan!
Clan 24492

From my perspective, I have a whole book on the Winawer and due to practice, I have found lines that I am comfortable with(both the 5.. Ba5 line and the mainline with 7... 0-0 then either f5 or Qh5 Ng6).

At the GM level there is plenty of theory on the Tarrasch (though stilll less than 3. Nc3). I have very poor results against it using the 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. exd5 Qxd5 line. I am currently experimenting in order to find a response that I do like.

Originally posted by !~TONY~!
I think Nc3 is definitely better than Nd2. Not to mention it just looks better, aesthetically.

I guess you know better than GM's: Adams, Ivanchuk, Svidler, Leko, Rublevsky, Akopian, Ponomariov, and a retired old patzer by the name of Gary Kasparov.

Originally posted by exigentsky
Why not the advance?

There's nothing wrong with the advance variation.....but I though this thread was about a black defence to either 3.Nd2 or 3.Nc3. The advance is defined by white.

Originally posted by mtthw
I prefer the Tarrasch. It's not really a matter of 'better'. I just prefer the types of position you get out of it. I've never been happy with the doubled c-pawn positions you get out of the Winawer.

At the top level it's pretty common, and scores about the same.

There are several lines of the Winawer that avoid doubled pawns.

Originally posted by Sicilian Smaug
I think Kasparov and other GMs have said that Nc3 is good for a win and Nd2 good for a draw. But I don't believe that's true at all for our level.

Kasparov never said such a thing. I couldn't see any other strong GM saying that either, unless joking.

Originally posted by MerchantParkPro
Kasparov never said such a thing. I couldn't see any other strong GM saying that either, unless joking.

Actually I have heard tell that Kasarov said
"Nc3 is best, but Nd2 is still good enough to win"

Originally posted by zebano
Actually I have heard tell that Kasarov said
"Nc3 is best, but Nd2 is still good enough to win"

And where exactly did you hear this?