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best line against French defense for below 1600 pl (Read 67234 times)

CanadianClub Senior Member Offline Greetings from Catalonia! Posts: 416 Joined: 11/11/12 Gender:	Re: best line against French defense for below 1600 pl Reply #5 - 02/17/14 at 08:39:13	Post Tools	Print Post
	An a French player myself since I was 1700 (in my Chess Fed we start with 1700), I have to say that the advance is the line I faced the most by far. And it's the line I know better (and I knew better that days). But even said that, this line is the best one to know what the french is really about (both for White and for Black). If you try to learn, go for the advance even if you fall in Black hands the first times you face it. Especially for kids, the perfect variation to master. If really strong players rely on this to beat the French (Shirov, Movsesian and Sveshnikov, for example come to my mind now), it's clear that it's not a bad option. A great opening/variation to learn about pawn breaks (c5 and/or f6), good/bad bishops, knight vs bishops endgames, open columns and how to get use of them.... If you want immediately results and don't bother to have some gaps in your chess education, play something else. Obviously you can master all the concepts I pointed in he other paragraph in other openings (like Kings Indian) but I think French advance is simpler to learn (always one simple column, usually one or two simple pawn breaks (always the same ones), always a clear bad bishop to deal with....). I like 3.Nd2 over other choices because at that level everybody will play Winawer against 3.Nc3 and you have to be well prepared to face that wild lines. Good luck,


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ErictheRed God Member Offline USCF National Master Posts: 2534 Location: USA Joined: 10/02/05	Re: best line against French defense for below 1600 pl Reply #4 - 02/16/14 at 22:12:22	Post Tools	Print Post
	All of White's main choices involve fairly straightforward chess, so there isn't really a line I'd advise against playing. Except perhaps for the Winawer Poisoned Pawn or the Exchange--not that I'm the guy Kylemeister is talking about! Having said that, I usually recommend the Tarrasch as I think it's practical for club players to avoid the Winawer. Actually I never gave it much thought, but I had quite a few 1400-1700ish players tell me that they hated facing the Winawer, so that's the most obvious other choice. At lower levels where we aren't too concerned about theory, White basically gets 1) play against an isolated pawn after 3...c5, 2) a lead in development after 3...c5 4.ed Qxd5, 3) a freer game after 3...dxe4, or 4) a big space advantage after 3...Nf6 4.e5. Once you convince White that it's OK to temporarily block in the c1-bishop, the positions White gets are a bit simpler and clearer than in the Winawer, at least. Playing 3.e5 is the most practical approach, and good theoretically as well. I get the feeling that most lower-level players are very happy facing it however, and consider it the main line of their beloved opening, which is often worth avoiding. On the other hand, I think that the first question White should ask himself about facing the French is: "Why not the Advance variation?", and if White doesn't have a good answer (he loathes closed positions or feels that he's playing into his opponent's hands), then he should play it.
	« Last Edit: 02/17/14 at 10:30:00 by ErictheRed »

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Tullius Junior Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 71 Joined: 05/03/11	Re: best line against French defense for below 1600 pl Reply #3 - 02/16/14 at 21:15:36	Post Tools	Print Post
	Milner-Barry for players below 2000 is an intersting choice. You should consider that his opponents do not know the theory like a master and it is easier to play here the white pieces because White has many "natural" moves and Black has to play very carefully (which costs at least a huge amount of time), even won positions can quickly go downhill.


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Smyslov_Fan YaBB Moderator Correspondence fan Offline Progress depends on the unreasonable man. ~GBS Posts: 6902 Joined: 06/15/05	Re: best line against French defense for below 1600 pl Reply #2 - 02/16/14 at 20:47:04	Post Tools	Print Post
	This has been asked before. And as before, I will recommend the Advance French as the first line, and once you have learned that, go to 3.Nc3 lines. The Advance variation is sharp, easy to comprehend, and easy to learn. I recommend studying the games of Sveshnikov especially. I don't like recommending variations that I believe are unsound, so I won't recommend the Milner-Barry variation. Instead, just put your B on e2 and go from there. The Milner-Barry is an excellent weapon in blitz chess, but Black has good resources available. There is room for creativity in the Milner-Barry, but Black will usually win if he just survives white's first onslaught. Play main lines and learn why they are main lines. Your opponents will soon learn to fear you in the French!


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kylemeister God Member Offline Posts: 4989 Location: USA Joined: 10/24/05	Re: best line against French defense for below 1600 pl Reply #1 - 02/16/14 at 20:28:08	Post Tools	Print Post
	I think the usual script for replies to this involves someone recommending the Exchange with 4. c4 and someone else disagreeing with that, but I probably can't recall the rest. For the record, I can recall playing for the Milner-Barry Gambit when I was sub-1600.


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chandrashekharkoravi Full Member Offline I Love ChessPublishing! Posts: 155 Joined: 08/13/13	best line against French defense for below 1600 pl 02/16/14 at 19:43:15	Post Tools	Print Post
	Hello friends I am searching for line which could suit b elow 1600 rated players.So should they go for Nc3 or Nd2 is better or any other line? ?


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