FreeRepublic wrote on 12/18/24 at 17:26:24:

FreeRepublic - It's my understanding that some refer to 3...Nf6 vs. the Tarrasch as being "more French-like" because it tends to yield positions with features commonly associated with the French, namely locked pawn chains and a blocked center with White pawns on e5 and d4 opposed by Black pawns on e6 and d5. In contrast, 3...c5 typically doesn't lead to such structures. White's d- and e-pawns are often exchanged off, as is Black's d-pawn. Instead of being blocked, the center is usually open with only a Black pawn on e6 (in the ...Qxd5 lines) or on d5 (in the IQP positions arising from ...exd5). 

You've likely seen 3...c5 also referred to as the "Open Tarrasch" because of the clear central files and open diagonals for the bishops. Correspondingly, 3...Nf6 is sometimes called the "Closed Tarrasch" because of the blocked nature of the positions it can yield. Of course, "closed" is a relative term since after Black's ...c5 and ...f6 pawn breaks in the main lines for 3...Nf6, the positions often have an open c-file, a half-open e-file for White, a half-open f-file for Black, and clear diagonals for the bishops, except for the "French bishop" on c8. In comparison to some lines of the French Advance or the Winawer, where Black locks things up with ...c5-c4, these positions developing from 3...Nf6 are at least somewhat more open.

I like Pedersen's book. I would probably like Pshakis book as well. For something more recent, Modern-chess has at least two products, as seen from the White side. Chessable should be looked at also.

After 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2, someone described 3...Nf6 as "the French move." That stuck with me, but how valid is that claim?

I went to a game database and looked at the ten oldest games from this position:  3...Nf6 6 games, 3...c5 3 games, 3...dxe 1 game. So far so good. I wanted to see the results for the first 100 games. I did a search by date. Selecting games prior to and including 1937 gave me 93 games. Good enough:  3...Nf6 24 games, 3...c5 56 games, 3...dxe 13 games. From this, I conclude that 3...Nf6 is no more "the French move" than 3...c5 in the Tarrasch.

After 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3, 3...Nf6, 3...Bb4, and 3...dxe are all popular today. I have not checked their popularity in the early days of the French defense. Considering both 3Nd2 and 3Nc3, perhaps 3...Nf6 will indeed prove to be "the French move."

My advice for buying is Steffen Pedersen book based on the critic in Chesscafe and because it is very recent, but it is not a repertoire book and I think Psakhis book is worth reading too. Another good book on the Tarrash is the book of John Emms one of my favorite authors. In New in Chess Yearbook nº80 Glenn Flear talks about the best choices in French defence books, but I do not read his article yet.

I have not read the Kaufman book so I can't comment on it.   

I do feel that the Psakhis book is very good.  But, I would advise going with Steffen Pedersen's The French: Tarrasch Variation.  It is more recent(2005 vs 2003) and a heck of a lot easier to read. It is very thorough, but, it is not a repertoire book.

I'm leaning towards:

Lev Psakhis' book FRENCH DEFENCE 3. ND2


P.S. I looking into this variation as a repertoire for white.