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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) C01: Book covering the French exchange (Read 16732 times)
dom
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Re: Book covering the French exchange
Reply #16 - 04/24/09 at 11:07:51
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As given previously: Nc6 before Bd6 because c4 for White...and the reason is Black has good systems playing Bb4+ or Be7 in c4 line.
Myself, I play Bg4 vs Nf3 and only after Bd3, Nc6 and White plays usualy c3 to protect d4.

Common idea is Exchange French is drawish and it's not first time I hear this assessment...but, if you study recent games, you'll see it's not the case...from White or Black point of view. Maybe the assessment comes from 1900-1950 games comments,..,but theory has improved and chessplayer who knows about not symetrical games  (symetry for pawn structure and/or castling) will understand more how to play the variation.

As uptodate source, I like the Watson's Dangerous Weapon French ,... dealing a liitle about the Larsen Qf3 move....only points to note: as given in the book "dangerous means dangerous for White or Black"...hence, draw is not the far common result...and the book doesn't contain detailed analysis (sorry, but you have more work than simply read/play method).

  

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likesforests
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Re: Book covering the French exchange
Reply #15 - 04/24/09 at 08:39:04
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I examined the corresponding Petroff lines and notably White races to castle and then undermine the knight with c2-c4. If White delays, Black can bolster his knight with f7-f5 and an advantage.

And that's the key to understanding when the Morphy Plan is effective in the French Exchange. If Black wastes a tempo on a move such as ...Be6 which doesn't combat ...Ne5/f4 in some way, as two of Morphy's opponent did, then Ne5 followed by f2-f4 is powerful. All the main moves combat that plan in some way. Eg, ...Nf6 prepares to castle rapidly; ...Nc6 eyes the e5 square; ...Bd6 does both of the above.
  
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knightmare
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Re: Book covering the French exchange
Reply #14 - 04/24/09 at 07:29:30
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If you're out for information about the line you gave in the threadstarter, you'll find a good soure in Avrukhs book "Grandmaster Repertoire 1 - 1.d4 volume one". The move order given there is based on QGA, but the resulting position is the same
  

ELO 2060. Corr.: 2190. Which casts doubts if I ever knew what I was doing. At least on the Board.
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likesforests
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Re: Book covering the French exchange
Reply #13 - 04/24/09 at 04:57:34
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He doesn't. That makes Ne5 seem a bit less scary. Wink

Also gives me some alternate places to research the ideas in these lines.
  
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kylemeister
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Re: Book covering the French exchange
Reply #12 - 04/24/09 at 03:49:19
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I'm guessing McDonald mentioned that Ne5 by White would often be turning him/her into Black in the Petroff (e.g. 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Ne5 or 5. Bd3 Bd6 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Ne5).
  
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likesforests
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Re: Book covering the French exchange
Reply #11 - 04/24/09 at 03:26:11
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Thanks, that makes sense. So 4.Nf3 Bd6 makes 5.c4 stronger, while 4.Nf3 Nc6 makes 5.Bb5 possible.
  
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kylemeister
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Re: Book covering the French exchange
Reply #10 - 04/24/09 at 02:38:49
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likesforests wrote on 04/24/09 at 01:57:44:
But why do Moskalenko and McDonald prefer ...Nc6 before ...Bd6?


It could be because 4...Bd6 (after 4. Nf3) makes 5. c4 somewhat attractive.
  
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likesforests
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Re: Book covering the French exchange
Reply #9 - 04/24/09 at 01:57:44
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McDonald shows Morphy winning convincingly as White in the French Exchange with a Stonewall-like Ne5 followed by f4 against aimless development by two opponents of different levels.

Then he demonstrates how taking aim at e5 with ...Nc6, ...Bd6, ...Nge7, ...O-O counteracts that plan and is good development to boot. But why do Moskalenko and McDonald prefer ...Nc6 before ...Bd6? It seems 4...Bd6 usually would avoid the Bb5 pin and always avoids Bxc6 bxc6. Not that these are terribly dangerous, but is there a big advantage to 4...Nc6 that justifies learning more theory?

Also, it's mildly annoying that White mostly chooses the game plan in these lines, although I guess his smaller opening advantage is compensation.
  
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JonathanB
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Re: Book covering the French exchange
Reply #8 - 04/23/09 at 22:37:24
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There's been a few threads on the French Exchange on this board too - so if you have not done so already then a search here will dig up quite a few resources.
  

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likesforests
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Re: Book covering the French exchange
Reply #7 - 04/23/09 at 19:38:20
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Thanks for the ideas. Smiley

I found a used copy of Play the French, 1st edition and am on my way to the bookstore to pick up How to Play Against e4.

------------------

Regarding the Flexible French, true, he spends 2.5 pages on it. Alas, while I love most of the book and highly recommend it both for the ideas and fun commentary, that's not enough for me.

Besides, I don't like his "Kung Fu" line 4.Nf3 Nc6!? 5.Bd3 Bd6 because White has and often uses the extra option of 5.Bb5. I would prefer to reach the same position via 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.Bd3 Nc6. Whenever possible, I like to limit my opening study to the minimum needed to achieve a reasonable position that permits me good chances of outplaying my opponent in the middlegame.
  
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Paddy
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Re: Book covering the French exchange
Reply #6 - 04/23/09 at 15:01:01
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likesforests wrote on 04/23/09 at 07:09:50:
I own two books on the French:
  * The Flexible French by Moskalenko
  * Chess Explained: The French by Eingorn & Bogdanov

Unfortunately, neither book discusses the Exchange  (cut)


In fact Moskalenko does have a (albeit brief) chapter on the Exchange Variation pp 253-255. It is pretty standard material, apart from the unusual suggestion 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 Bb5 Ne7 (instead of 5...Bd6 6 c4 dxc4 7 d5 a6 8 Ba4 b5 9 dxc6 bxa4 given by McDonald in HTPA1e4) - Moskalenko quotes from three of his own games in which he played this as Black.

Nimzowitsch faced the Exchange quite a bit, including several games that began 1 e4 Nc6. Check out his "Praxis" for his ideas on how to play symmetrical lines for a win.

I'm sure that Uhlmann's out of print book is available somewhere on the Web as a pdf download.

In the 1990s I played a lot of games as White with the Exchange Winawer. After 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 exd5 exd5 5 Bd3 (for Watson's attempt to revive Larsen's 5 Qf3, see "Dangerous Weapons: the French" pp 78-99) I eventually came to the conclusion that 5...c6 is a very logical and strong reply, avoiding symmetry, "doing something that White can't", and enabling Black's good bishop to retreat to its best post on d6.
  
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Re: Book covering the French exchange
Reply #5 - 04/23/09 at 14:28:36
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Zoo,

"Any edition of John Watson's Play The French will give you more than enough in order to play ambitiously the Exchange French with Black or White"

I have the 3rd edition of Play the French, and to be honest, I don't think he covers the Exchange as well as Mcdonald. Watson gives far more detailed coverage of the Winawer and other more 'important' lines. Watson is, of course, still an essential part of any French player's library.

Bibs,

"Plus - check out games of Uhlmann and Korchnoi." Good advice as always; but Uhlmann's "Winning with the French" is sadly out of print and only has a handful of exchange games anyway. Highly recommended though, if likesforests can get hold of it. It's one of my favourite chess books.

MilenPetrov,

"Mastering the French is a must": this is Mcdonald's widely praised 1997 book, which is also, sadly, long out of print. I have this book too, but still feel that Mcdonald's 2008 book, "How to Play against 1.e4 has better coverage of the Exchange, from an average player's point of view.





  
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MilenPetrov
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Re: Book covering the French exchange
Reply #4 - 04/23/09 at 12:23:12
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Mastering the French is a must even it covers the pwn structures in general, but still it could be useful for understanding the French Exchange.
  
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Bibs
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Re: Book covering the French exchange
Reply #3 - 04/23/09 at 10:00:50
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Plus - check out games of Uhlmann and Korchnoi.
  
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zoo
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Re: Book covering the French exchange
Reply #2 - 04/23/09 at 09:17:58
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Any edition of John Watson's Play The French will give you more than enough in order to play ambitiously the Exchange French with Black or White. It is not drawish in itself, but becomes a draw when both players agree to swap rooks on the e-file, then bishops etc. Many French players try the Exchange on occasion when they are White.
  
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