Check out IM Greet's blogpost on QC's blog on "Beating the Exchange French"

http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/blog/?p=2530

sorry, dfan just beat me to it!

Thanks guys, that was very helpful. I tend to agree with this:

Keano wrote on 02/11/14 at 20:54:50:

It is attractive that Black's play is similar to 3.exd5 exd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 and castling queenside.
Practice seems to confirm this. Except for Timman losing as Black and winning as White the second player scores well, albeit in not too many games.

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.exd5 exd5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.a3 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 Nge7 8.Qf3 Be6 9.Ne2 Qd7 10.Ng3 O-O-O 11.O-O and now h5 is interesting. Some sample lines which I absolutely haven't scrutinized:
a) 12.h3 h4 13.Nh5 Bf5 14.Nxg7 Bxh3 15.gxh3 Rdg8 16.Qxf7 Nd8 seems to end with a perpetual;
b) 12.h4 f6 13.Rd1 Rdf8 14.Qe2 Bg4 15.f3 Bf5 or 14.Re1 Bg4 15.Qe3 g5 (perhaps Rfg8 first) 16.hxg5 h4.

After 11.h3 Black might sac a pawn with f6 12.O-O h5 or try Rdf8 12.O-O f5 13.Nh5 f4 14.Re1 g5 15.Ng7 Bf5 16.Nxf5 Nxf5.

While I agree with IM Cox that it's silly to whine how boring the Exchange is it remains a valid question how to unbore the variation. It might be a trivial question for titled players, but not for amateurs like me.

Keano wrote on 02/12/14 at 16:48:30:


Well, in the long term it could be a very big deal... In the short term the engines seem to agree on a +0.30 for White, which could even be a good sign for Black as some of them start out much higher. 

I'm not even sure if 11.h3 is necessary, as ...Bg4 may just kick the Q where she wants to go anyway, and without h3 Black's pawn storm may lack something to latch on to.

Keano wrote on 02/12/14 at 15:16:43:


Doesn't that weaken the dark squares? My first thought was something with Bg5, either 12.Bg5 though 12...f6 might be playable. or simply 12.0-0 (or perhaps 12.a4) and if 12...Nf5 13.Bg5

I wonder how relevant Short-Timman, 1990 really is... White can of course play it differently in many ways, as in games between humans concentration and tactical alertness will be most important. Still, imo the simple plan of not allowing ...Bf5 is a good place to start for White (see my initial post for another example). Then White has a slightly larger margin of error, but any errors tend to be howlers anyway...

Keano wrote on 02/10/14 at 19:18:24:

As I like your 13...g4 - it's an improvement on Short-Timman, Tilburg 1990 - I take the liberty to ask: have you similar recommendations against 11.Nxe6 and against 8.Qh5 as well?

ErictheRed wrote on 02/11/14 at 16:01:57:


Maybe it's more a losing attempt then? - just like 6...Bxa3 

Or just stereotyped thinking, "I usually take on c3 so...". How else would one defend giving away the bishop pair in an open position?

I've been looking at it for several days now, and by now I actually like both sides!

TalJechin wrote on 02/10/14 at 09:53:13:


12...g5 13.Ne2 g4 followed by ...h5 etc,

Its just me but I really like playing these positions for Black, quite possibly I am not being objective based on past results but I just like it.