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Questions tagged [french-defense]

The French Defense begins with 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5. Black plans to play a solid setup and contest white's center with moves like c5 and Nc6. The biggest drawback to the French Defense is that black's light square bishop is hemmed in by the e6 pawn.

The French Defense begins with 1. e4 e6, and usually continues with 2. d4 d5.

French Defense after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5

Black plans to play a solid setup and contest white's center with moves like ... c5 and ... Nc6. The biggest drawback to the French Defense is that black's light square bishop is hemmed in by the e6 pawn.

White has several options against the French Defense including 3. Nc3 (the main line), 3. Nd2 (the Tarrasch Variation), 3. e5 (the Advance Variation), and 3. exd5 (the Exchange Variation).

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Why is the French defence not played at the highest level?

I am a French defence player and I enjoy playing almost all the lines (Tarrasch, Winawer, advance variation, ...) because I think the play that follows the opening suits my style and I feel very comfortable. I am a club player (~1800). I have…
S -
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What is a good French-like defense against 1. d4?

I enjoy playing the French Defence as black against 1. e4, for the following reasons. It often creates a closed position without wild tactics It takes white away from the more familiar lines (1... e5 and 1... c5) If black survives the attack, black…
Eric Wilson
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Playing the French Defense Exchange Variation

In the French Defense Advance Variation, 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 ..., there are some clear game plans for both sides, areas where you want a pawn break, where you want to attack, etc. However, in the French Defense Exchange Variation, 1. e4 e6 2. d4…
EPN
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Why is Leela so good at beating Stockfish in the French/Slav?

I notice Lc0 is especially good against Stockfish in French / Slav pawn structures. However, I don't understand why. Here're a couple of games where Leela smoothly outplays Stockfish. Can anyone explain what Stockfish is doing wrong? Link to this…
Allure
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French or Caro Kann?

I find the French more aggressive, as black gets easy queenside play with pieces and generally a pawn avalanche. However, my friend debates that the Caro is better than the French because the Caro allows a queenside expansion as well, but "you get…
chubbycantorset
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Is the French defense at a 3700 Elo level "completely refuted"?

...computers will never play the French defense against each other because the French defense at a 3700 Elo level is completely refuted... IM Levy Rozman (YouTube around 3m08s) Wait, what? I watched Ding Liren play the French (LiChess) in the…
Rebecca J. Stones
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How does the "French Defense, Winawer Variation, Fingerslip Variation" get its name?

Why is this particular iteration of the "French Defense, Winawer Variation" called the "Fingerslip Variation"? [fen "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bd2
alex
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Why is the f6 pawn break in Advanced French so important for black?

I am new to the French (so forgive me if the question seems elementary). I've just come across the pawn break ...f6 for black in the French advance variation, and I find the pawn break quite dubious for me for several reasons: When we are attacking…
Brass2010
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Why is Na5 not played in this line of the French Defense, Advance Variation?

I find Na5 a good resource for black in this line of the french, profiting from the fact that white's b-pawn is binned to the bishop. As far as I can understand this position with my limited chess, I find it a strong move, winning space on queenside…
user18196
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A variant in the French defence advance variation

Consider the following beginning, quite typical of the advance variation of the French defense: [fen ""] 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.a3 On what I have seen on the web, the recommended black's next moves are 6. ... Nh6, or 6. ...…
Joel
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Are there known opening gambit lines for black in the French defence?

I play the French defence with both colours (white and black) and generally play any of the orthodox main line openings (there are many eg Advance, Exchange, Classical,Tarrasch etc giving rise to many variations as openings and defence variation eg…
rpd
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French Defense Exchange variation - Qh5?

[fen ""] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Bd3 Bd6 5. Nc3 Ne7 6. Qh5 I played this as white, and my last move seem to bother my opponent a lot. So I'd like to know if 5. ... Ne7 is correct and if my early queen trip is justified. If this is the…
Landei
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Why is it a good idea to retreat the bishop into the pawn chain in this variation of the Caro Kann?

I am reading a book about the Caro-Kann defence. In this position the author suggests playing 5...Bd7. (Although they assert that Bg6 is not a bad move either). In fact, the whole idea of playing Qb6 early instead of e6 is so that the bishop can…
Travis
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What is a good plan for white against the Rubinstein variation in the French defense?

I always play the Tarrasch variation against the French defense and I have quite some good results with it. Nevertheless, when black exchanges on e4 and the game transposes into the Rubinstein variation, I have no good plan for white and don't…
Don
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Castling in the French Defense

How do you decide which way to castle? It seems castling kingside can be dangerous because of white's extra kingside space he often gets in the French Defense. Also most of my pieces are naturally on the queenside making it difficult if they're…
Krane
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