Littlewing wrote on 02/18/09 at 16:55:18:
I play the French as black.
I don't mind the regular Exchange lines in which I can play a set-up with Ne7, Nc6, Bd6 and Bg4 of f5. With f6, g5 and 0-0-0 on the cards this is playable and interesting enough for black.
I think the Exchange with a quick c4 is more annoying, although I do believe black is okay. He has a clear plan of controlling d5 and sucking up the energy of the white pieces. If it works black has a nice endgame, if it doesn't work, he has problems.
I do however get into trouble when I get move-ordered into putting a Knight on f6. This happens when I try to get my usual Classical French on the board. If white exchanges then, I can't play Ne7 anymore. Objectively this must be okay, but I don't like it and have gotten myself into trouble a couple of times, mostly because of a pin with Bg5 and subsequently a Knight on e5.
The drawback for White is that he almost has to put a Knight on c3 tot get me to play Nf6 and still be able to play Bg5. In this case he also must be prepared to play the Winawer, or play an Exchange against the Winawer.
Interested how others feel about this.
I know that Watson advocated this ...Ne7 in combination with ...Bb4 but I can't see why it's so important. Maybe someone who understands this can explain it to me. I've looked at it at some length and concluded that whether the knight is on f6 or e7, White should develop (after c2-c4) Nf3, Nc3, Bd3 and 0-0. If checked down the e-file he puts Be3 and sacs a pawn on that square in case Black wants to win one. It absolutely doesn't matter to the correctness of this e3 pawn-sac whether Black first plays any combination of ...Bxc3+ and ...dxc4 -- or whether a rook or queen (or even a knight after ...Rxe3 first) takes last on e3. So whether Black's knight takes on e3 from f5 or g4, it is all the same. Black is well advised not to swap on e3, however.
The important thing for White is not to f-rt around with such tepid moves as Nge2 or Be2, but instead just play ahead into an ordinary IQP game and dare Black to do his worst. White generally meets an early ...Bg4 either with cxd4, Qb3 or with an immediate Qb3.
I agree that Black is O.K. here but White does have interesting play, and this line is a good way for White to insist on an open position. That's why I recommend it to my students.
If I were Black against this I might well play an early ...c6 and take on c4 only with reluctance. However I don't think that there are any magic solutions for Black.
@Dink: If you like the IQP, this 2.c4 (or 2.Nf3, 3.c4) thingie may well be what you're looking for.
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C01: French Exchange for White (Read 27383 times)
