Quote:


No. White need not. But if white chooses to play 12.Qe2 there is that standard exchange sacrifice available for black, with the compensation of d4 pawn and a mobile centre against no centre.

Rook for a piece and pawn is normally unclear and this coupled with a mobile center is sufficient compensation.

I wouldn't advise my students to play this way as white. Computers may feel otherwise, though.

Here is a line for your consideration. If you like white, you may play 12.Qe2. I don't like it. Computer may like it. But, please bear in mind that computers don't evaluate positions as unclear. It is a human concept.

1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.Ne2 Ne7 6.c3 Ba5 7.d4 0-0 8.a3 Bc7 9.Ng3 cxd4 10.cxd4 Nbc6 11.Bd3 f6 12.Qe2 fxe5 13.dxe5 Rxf3 14.Qxf3 Nxe5 15.Qe3 Nxd3+ 16.Qxd3 e5

Quote:


11...f6 appears to be a straight forward equaliser to me. After 12.exf6 Rxf6 13.Bg5 Rf7 14.0-0 or 14.Qe2 black has the luxury of including h6. Black can actually strengthen king side light squares with ...Bxg3.

To Smyslov_Fan: OK.. I'll post about 16...e5 if I find some analysis about it.

To urusov: I don't know why but Korchnoi played a6 in his game versus Klinova in 2005. Do you know the idea ? Is it only to force White for a Philidor pawn setup with bishop on e2 and avoid the knight pin with Bb5 ?

For Two knights's variation, I don't resist to mention Bellon's idea (Taulbut 's book about the French and ECG = Encyclopedia of Chess Games) in Bellon-Korchnoi,Palma 1972: 5.b4.  ECG gives unclear after 19 moves in Gurgenidze-Vaganian,URSS 1974

There is another funny line: 5.c3 Nc6!? (maybe Nf6! is the main line) 6.cxd4 cxd4 7.Qa4 b5!? (jackal=Adrian Skelton on NJ chess forum) 8.Qxb5 Bd7 9.Nexd4.

When White plays Ng3, Black can try an unorthodox  attack: 5.c3 dxc3 6.bxc3 Nc6 7.Ng3 Nf6 8.Bb5 Bd7 9.oo h5!? (supermarin and fox on france.echecs.com forum) 10.d3 h4 11.Ne2 h3 12.g3 Be7 13.Bxc6 Bxc6 14.Ne5 Qc7 15.Nxc6 Qxc6 16.f3 ooo unclear. I like the idea because after Bb5, White will often exchange his light square bishop and this kind of h-pawn attack might give advantage on light squares for Black.

I have played the .3..d4 in internet blitz. I can safely say based on my experience say that black is at least equal, and can usually play with several different reasonable set up against most white lines. The one exception is 1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 d4 4.Ne2 c5 5 c3 Nf6! which is sharp and somewhat forced, but still leads to good and interesting play for black. This makes it unlikely for white to use some sharp fritz preparation to any great effect. The positions are complex and pleasant and offers black excellent chances to play an interesting game.

To elspringer: about the "Jackal attak", Glenn Flear wrote one survey about the book in NiC YB 72 ("The way of the Jackal"), and it's a good idea to read the crystal clear analysis (you can try to post him a question in the DaringDefence section). The Jackal has been subject of one updates in the French section and one thread in current forum.

I played the start of the line in my first FirstSaturday tournament in Budapest, and I wooked on the line after going back home.

Yes, Spassky-Petrossain,Moscow 1966 (Watson) is one good reference. 16....Qf7!? was the move of the game but I have recorded 16...e5!

The position after 13...Rae8 was subject of one update in Chesspublishing French section, with 14.Kh1!?  Rogers-Witt,2005

I don't think that 11...Qe7 is the best move, and 11...Bd7 was the move in Spassky-Petrossian game. Now if  12.Qe2 (in order to transpose) then 12...Nd4!? (instead of 12..Qe7) = Motwani-Webster,Gausdal 1992

After 12.Bg3 Be8 (common idea in the variation to control h5, to prepare Ch5, to exchange dark square bishop ... same idea in 11...g6 ; 11...Qe8 Watson . Compare with position in Tarrash variation with f6 when White plays Fg5-Fh4-Fg3 ) ; 12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.Qe2 Ne4 or 13...Qe7 to transpose to Spassky-Petrossian;  12.a3 a6 ; 12.Qf3 Bd4

@elspringer,

I've never seen that except in Blitz or one-minute!

@Castlerock,

To be honest, I was only copying Psakhis' analysis and didn't study it very carefully last night.  I'll try to give some of my own comments later today.  I'm likely to play the Steinitz today in my club championship game (round 2 of 4), so the study will help me directly!

@Smyslov_Fan

I had a look at the position after 13...Rae8 and it is quite interesting. My encounter with Classical French is only with Burn through Ruebenstien move order. I respect Psakhis but I am not sure I understood your post.

1) Struggle is on e5 square and a3-a6 will have to be played at some point to avoid tactics involving b4-b5 squares. So why not immediately? After all both sides have absolute static balance.

2) Second is 14.Nc6. The point is white should over protect e5 square and black should strive to achieve e5. Logical white plan would be a3,Bg3,Kh1,f4 and/or Nc3-d1-f2-g4. Hence 14.Nc6 is not necessarily important,imho. Similarly, black has a6, Bd4, Nxe4, Bxe4, Bf6 and Nd7 in a bid to prepare for e5. I don't see why only 14.Nxc6

I don't have Psakhis' book and I would appreciate if you can post his analysis.

BTW, 13.Rae1 deserves an exclam!

@ Smyslov Fan: I am happy to see that you have been enlightened. I play Nc3 first because if they play c5 on the second move i play f4 bc i prefer playing that f4 sicilian rather than playing an open one.. ofcourse this is bc i dont know open sicilian theory. AND i have the roman DVD! LOL.

Also. when you mentioned the d4 move. they seem to have forgotten to mention. e4 e6 Nf3 d5 Nc3 d4 Ne2 c5 c3 d3 Nf4 c4 Qa4+ ! picking up both of the pawns... you might be surprised how many people fall for that one. I say this not to say that the line is awesome, but to show that it has its poison.

@ Gueler: when you say: "6. ...Nc6 7.Bf4 Bxc5 8. Bd3 Qb6 9. 0-0.

Psakhis has some analysis, let me see what else I can find. Two plans I have seen, are to go for the pawn on b2 " There is a problem going for the b2 pawn. Qxb2 Nb5! (threatning Nc7+ forking) after you move, i will go Bd2 followed by Bc3 and i trapped your queen.. once again, this line has alot of traps for the unaware. I believe Qb6 is a mistake. f6 is the move.

For those of you taking about the Fort Knox variation. dxe4 Nxe4 followed By Bd7 and Bc6- Yes, white cannot play the good lines with a early c4 and d5, but take a look at two of my games on this :

[Event "ICC 5 0"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2005.09.27"]
[Round "-"]
[White "Kamikaze-Squad"]
[Black "Goldmund"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ICCResult "Black checkmated"]
[WhiteElo "2401"]
[BlackElo "2523"]
[Opening "French: Fort Knox variation"]
[ECO "C00"]
[NIC "FR.01"]
[Time "20:09:25"]
[TimeControl "300+0"]

1. e4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bd7 5. d4 Bc6 6. Bd3 Nd7 7. Qe2 Ngf6
8. O-O Bxe4 9. Bxe4 Nxe4 10. Qxe4 c6 11. c3 Be7 12. Re1 O-O 13. h4 Nf6 14.
Qe2 Qa5 15. Bf4 Rfd8 16. Ne5 Re8 17. Rad1 Qxa2 18. Rd3 Nd5 19. Bh6 Bf6 20.
Rg3 Ne7 21. Ng4 Ng6 22. Nxf6+ gxf6 23. h5 e5 24. Qf3 Re6 25. hxg6 hxg6 26.
dxe5 Rae8 27. Qf5 Kh7 28. Qh3 Kg8 29. Qh5 fxe5 30. Qh4 Qxb2 31. Bg5 f5 32.
Bf6 Kf7 33. Qh7+ Kxf6 34. Rxg6# {Black checkmated} 1-0

Event "ICC 5 0"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2005.09.26"]
[Round "-"]
[White "Kamikaze-Squad"]
[Black "Goldmund"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ICCResult "Black resigns"]
[WhiteElo "2386"]
[BlackElo "2479"]
[Opening "French: Fort Knox variation"]
[ECO "C00"]
[NIC "FR.01"]
[Time "21:12:48"]
[TimeControl "300+0"]

1. e4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bd7 5. d4 Bc6 6. Bd3 Nd7 7. Qe2 Ngf6
8. O-O Nxe4 9. Bxe4 Bxe4 10. Qxe4 c6 11. Re1 Be7 12. c3 O-O 13. Bf4 Nf6 14.
Qe2 Qb6 15. Rad1 Rfd8 16. Ne5 Re8 17. Rd3 Rad8 18. Rg3 g6 19. Bh6 c5 20.
dxc5 Bxc5 21. Qf3 Be7 22. Bg5 Qxb2 23. Bxf6 Qd2 24. Rf1 Bxf6 25. Qxf6 Rf8
26. h4 Rd5 27. h5 Qe2 28. hxg6 hxg6 29. Nxg6 {Black resigns} 1-0

That Goldmund is GM Goldmund. So if you guys have any comments on those games it would be nice to see since I havent analyzed those so any theoretical recommendation is appreciated.

And Last, I am interested in discussing the positions where most of the theory ends.. Thing is that there is very little analysis on this line and not too many games for example:
1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. d4 c5 6. dxc5 Nc6 7. Bf4 Bxc5 8.
Bd3 f6 9. exf6 Nxf6 10. O-O O-O 11. Ne5 Qe7 12. Qe2 Bd7 13. Rae1 Rae8
That is one of the positions. if you guys have any independent analysis, or any of your french books, i would like to see whats up.. well guys thanks alot!!