dom wrote on 09/30/10 at 22:20:41:


the main move seems to be 8. ... c5 (transposing into 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Be7 6. Bxf6 gxf6 7. Bc4 Nd7 8. Nf3 c5) where Pedersen thinks 9. d5 Nb6 is fine for black but he gives white an edge after 9. O-O (played in Shirov-Short 1999).

So 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.Bc4 c5 9. O-O seems a critical line. Perhaps I'll have look in the weekend.

10.Qh6 might be a problem. In the normal move order (7...a6) this is not a problem because e4 is already hanging, but here you have lost a tempo by inserting ...Nd7. Another possibility to punish Black for not hurrying to put the bishop on b7 could be 10.d5, where White's lead in activity looks rather threatening.

If Black can defend against these direct attempts, however, it looks as if he gets an improved version of the 7...a6 line, as 7...Nd7 8.g3 is probably not dangerous at all.

Edit: Another interesting discovery: The position after 7...Nd7 can also arise from the Rubinstein variation, after 4...Nd7 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Bg5 Be7 7.Bxf6 gxf. Well, unfortunately White normally takes with the knight on move 7...

@Zatara:

Coming back here after long holidays,I see that you don't have reply....I try do post one.


Lines played by Morozevich in the French ?

   do you have chess database software ? or internet ?
   it's SO EASY to do it yourself instead of asking other people to do searching work for you

after one google search: "chessgames Morozevich" then Google retrieves you in one second the URL:
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=11719
where you have games from Morozevich
 
Arg..i have just read SF post deleting url GM William website...please moderator, keep mine,  , chessgames is the only free online database I know and it is no commercial website




"I think that Watson has some stuff..."

  why guessing ? is it a way to ask a question to J.Watson, why not send him PM or email ? have you bought his book "Playing French 3" ?

  but if you want only the answer: NO
  J.Watson covered in chapter Fourteen, only the Burn variation 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Be7 (not 5...Nf6 as you write) 6.Bxf6 (not 6...Nxf6 ) Bxf6

Finding some stuff about the Burn with 6...gxf6

Degraeve-Bauer,Championnat de France Val d'Isere 2002
Grishuk-Sakaev,Bundesliga 2002
Bisguier-Ludwig, US open 1948 (forum france.echecs.com)
Giplis-Tchernine,St John 1988 (Psakhis EE 1991 ... EE means "Europe Echecs" magazine)
Brodskt-Kiriakov,Nizhny Novgorod 1998 (Psakhis)
Degraeve-Bauer,Val d'Isere Championnat de France 2002 (Prie,Echecs et Mat september 2002)
Arnason-Skembris,Olympiades Salonique 1988 (Pytel EE 1991)
Boudre-Mullon,St Affrique 1999
Lau-Sakaev,Dortmund 1991 (Psakhis)
Landenbergue-Luther,Ptuj 1995 (Psakhis)
Peretz-Czerniak,Israel 1976 (Pytel EE 1991)
Sokolov-Andersson,Bruxelles 1988 (Pytel EE 1991)
Wedberg-Andersson,Hastings 1987 (Pytel EE 1991)
Rohde-Speelmann,Londres 1984 (Pytel EE 1991)
Grischuk-Sakaev,Bundesliga 2002 (Balinov)
Chabalov-Savtchenko,Tiflis 1989 (Pytel EE 1991)
Ivanov-Danielan,URSS 1991 (Psakhis)
Lutz-Zueger,Biel 1996 (John Simmons  forum de Chesspublishing)
Klovane-Tchistiakov,URSS 1967 (Pytel EE 1991)
Grospeter-Gurevich,Budapest 1996 (Psakhis)
Hebden-Pytel,Villeneuve Tolosane 1988 (Pytel EE 1991)
Jenni-Buhmann,Leon 2001 (Psakhis)
Sahovic-K.Pytel,Marseille 1988 (Markus Pytel  forum  Chesspublishing .... Markus is son of Black player)
Boudre-Lupu,Nice 1991
O'Kelly vs H Kramer, 1952 
Minasian-Dreev,Moscou 1991 (Psakhis)
H Steiner vs Reshevsky, 1934
Shirov-Topalov,Sarajevo 2000
Najer-Chebotarev,Kazan 2005
Alekseev-Iljushin,Istanbul 2003
Ponomariov-Morozevich,Moscou 2001
Glek-Volkov,Corinth 2000 (Psakhis)
Svidler-Rychagov,Moscou 2007 (chesspublishing,update decembre 2007)
M Golubev vs B Kalezic, 2001
J Szalai vs Tarjei J Svensen, 2001
Kaplan-Bronstein,Hastings 1975 (Pytel EE 1991 and Malcolm Pein  daily télégraph website after Bronstein's death end 2006)
I Rogers vs Short, 1990
Bogoljubov vs G Weissgerber, 1933
A Kovacevic vs N Kelecevic, 1997
Fischer-Minev,La Havanne 1966 (Pytel EE 1991)
Mamedyarov-Mademov,Batumi 2001
Savanovic-Stojanovic,Banja Luka 2007
M Burrows vs H Lande, 2006
Opocensky vs Flohr, 1932
Aronian-Belozerov,Moscou 1995
Rasic-Radjabov,Litohoto 1999
Duster-Pytel,St Ingbert 1988 (Pytel EE 1991)
De Vreugt-Radjabov,Wijk aan Zee 2001 (EE Juin 2003)
Zagorovsky-Ufimtsev,URSS 1949

and my favourite    :  Ivanchuk-Volkov,StVincent 2005 (Chesspublishing, septembre 2005)


Last Psakhis's book I have

French Defence - Steinitz,Classical and Other Systems
ISBN 07134 8941 3
2004
Batsford (Chrysalis group)

  URL Chrysalis website deleted ... i must be logical myself

deals about it: chapter 6 Burn Variation ... 6...gxf6!? pages 97 to 111


OFWATA 6 Khalifman book deals about it in chapter 4: pages 68 to 72

Is it a good line ?

common answer from me: "yes if you win with it" 
more uncommon: "yes for White"
or: "yes for Black"
or: "yes for good player"
or: "yes for hard working player"
or: "yes for chesspub member" (I am sure this one will enjoy one Grand (web)master )
and so on

and seriously: "if the line is not enough good for Black you can be sure it will be written in one book with 6...gxf6?! or 6...6...gxf6? and line appears not so often in recent games"