It´s really enviable, that obviously all french players fight from the beginning for the full point and only fear being outprepared to a draw. Then french defence definitely must be one of the best openings. 
I for myself am glad to stay on board no matter if I play caro-kann, scandinavian or my "old friend" the french. 

I´m not sure if white can really achieve a draw in the Nf4-variation by force, but perhaps all who hate a draw with black and play  3...Nf6 may find a solution in

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nd2 Nf6 e5 Nfd7 Bd3 c5 c3 Nc6 Ne2 cd: cd: Be7
00 h5 f4 g6 Nf3 Nb6 g3 Bd7 b3 Nb4 Bb1 Bb5 and a later a5-a4

no forcing lines like in the Nf4-variant; looks at first sight only like a blockading system, something black should perhaps do on the queenside to switch later back to the kingside.
For those interested in this line, check Neukirch - Wolfgang Uhlmann 1967 - old but good.

Another alternative may be:

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nd2 Nf6 e5 Nfd7 Bd3 c5 c3 Nc6 Ne2 b5 !?

Greetings

Gilmour

By the way: GM Baburin once was asked why he always plays the dubious alekhine and not for example the respected najdorf - especially against weaker players - to get more winning chances.

Baburin replied that a player of about 2300 Elo perhaps more easily gets a draw in his alekhine . On the other hand the risk to loose against a lower rated player is not so high as it is in a highly theoretical and tactical opening like the sicilian najdorf.

Perhaps it´s the same with the french. May be the risk to draw with a weaker player is higher than in a sicilian, but on the other hand you also have more chances to survive against a stronger player. 
So each medal has always two sides.  

All the best

G.

It certainly doesn't seem easy to me to avoid a slightly worse - but drawable - position vs the Tarrasch.

Look at all the interest in 3.. Be7/Nc6 etc recently. That's not because they're better than the traditional lines but they are (or perhaps were in the case of Be7?) less explored and playable and so offered much better chances to get interesting positions.
(indeed almost anything seems to be playable!) 

At my level an utter non issue but I can certainly imagine a GM having trouble doing much vs well prepared 22/2300's and the like. The IQP stuff after 3.. c5/..a6 might be as good a try as anything.

MNb wrote on 05/27/09 at 00:36:58:


The main line of 9. Nf4 (black has no choice, other options leave him with much worse positions) results in black sacrificing the exchange for a pawn, along with just enough compensation in the form of an impressive center to maintain a dynamic equality. If black presses, he ends up worse. Any white player that uses the Tarrasch, and gets a high rated in the 3...Nf6 variation should keep in mind 9. Nf4 is a great weapon to either draw, or win when black tries to push for more, and they often do. Black's position cannot be safely improved unless white screws up badly.

trw wrote on 05/26/09 at 16:44:01:


The Exchange French isn't actually that drawish. In fact, it's definitely less drawish than the Petrov, despite similar pawn structures. Black has plenty of opportunity for asymmetrical play (white as well), but that being said - the Exchange French immediately puts each player on equal footing as far as winnning chances goes.

As far as the Tarrasch goes, it depends on what line black has a preference towards. 3...c5 with 4...Qxd5/4...exd5 are definitely hard to produce winning chances in. 3...Nf6 is no more than equal in theory, and with the theory being as deep as it is it isn't likely that winning chances are plentiful.

If winning chances exist at all for black at this point, it'll be in the Guimard/3...a6/3...h6, although it is hard to see how those will make greater demands of white than the other options, although the latter two options at least are more flexible due to their non-commital nature.

I'd imagine what GM Shabolov means is not only are winning chances problematic, but black can easily come out worse, while coming out better is much harder to do.

Shabalov recently wrote that the main problem with the French is getting winning chances if White plays the Tarrasch.  I wonder how widely shared his opinion is.

My comment was intended to be a bit tongue-in-cheek, (though I am a C-K fan) but, it is a bit strange how a defense with the reputation of the French hasn't had as much success at the top levels. Does it still have its reputation, then, because of the history behind it?

MNb wrote on 05/24/09 at 10:41:12:


Not many 2600+ folk here I would wager, and most of us play such types only rarely, so pretty insignificant to what happens in most of our games. 

Just play an opening people, and play some chess.