Is the French Defense going out of Fashion?

[matt_ward]

Hello All, glad to be back I was just wondering is the French defense at top- level and even amateur level running out of steam. I personally do not seem to be seeing it much these days. The likes of the c5, e5 and c6 are seemingly more popular.

I for one am starting to study the caro kann as black although only against stronger opposition. I would like to hear people's views on the french defense.
Matt.

[Alan Walton]

Matt,

I presuming you have based your comments around the statistical evidence available on Megabase 2010 and up-to-date games on TWIC (cannot verify this as I am at work)

As most openings suffer fluctuations in popularity, I wouldn't say it is running out of steam, especially at the amateur level

Though, it is strange that you are considering the Caro Kann instead, this would seem as a step backwards, and I would go more for e5 and Scilians instead

Alan (a committed French player)

[David Sedgwick]

I've been playing the French for over 40 years and I don't currently have the motivation to develop a new opening repertoire.

However, I do seem to get duffed up more often than used to be the case. I suspect that this is because I've got weaker rather than because the French has been refuted.

[Mick Norris]

http://www.chessbase.com/shop/product.asp?pid=491

[Arshad Ali]

I think Uhlmann was complaining some years back that he just wasn't having any good results in the French anymore.

[Alan Walton]

There has been alot of new ideas and developments in the French of the pass couple of years

It all comes down to how committed you are on keeping on top of these new developments

I try and look at any new games in the openings I play every couple of weeks, and I am only a low amatuer player

[Mike Gunn]

I believe the French Defence was out of fashion the first time it was played with the (British) opponent of the original French player describing moving the KP only one square as "unmanlly".

[Simon Williams]

I am not sure whether the French Defence has ever been the height of fashion, maybe it had a brief spell when Botvinnik used it in some big matches. In some ways that is a good thing, its never fun copying what all the top players do, far too complicated!

Saying that the French has had a 'cult' following and some of the most inventive players in the world have used it, just look at Moro's games. It is amazing that he just seems to come up with a new idea in the opening every time he plays 1...e6!

In my experience I have had an up and down time with it. I kind of agree with the last post that 1...e6 is rather a wimpish move but just recently I have started playing it again and I feel that the beauty of the opening is that it is so versatile. You can play it aggressively, passively, positional or tactically. Both myself and Keith Arkell play the French, 2 players with totally different styles of play!

I have just finished filming another DVD, this time on the French and some of the new ideas that people are playing are very interesting. It's good to see that the old poisoned pawn variation is coming back into fashion.

In my eyes the more out of fashion the opening gets the more attractive the prospect of playing it becomes!

www.gingergm.com

[Matt Mackenzie]

Poisoned Pawn?? Do you mean the Milner-Barry gambit (in the Advance) and similar?

[Gavin Strachan]

Nigel Short used to play it if memory serves quite often. I also vaguely remember reading about Kasparov not liking it because it blocks in the bad bishop. Fisher I don't think liked playing against it. Botvinnik did use it quite often (as Simon says). I find it quite versatile in someways, you can either pretty wild games in some lines (Milner-Barry) which look scarey or very boring positions (Fort Knox) which can be irritating.

[Arshad Ali]

Poisoned Pawn?? Do you mean the Milner-Barry gambit (in the Advance) and similar?

In the Winawer: 1.e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3 6.bxc3 Qc7 7. Qg4 Ne7 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 (I hope I've got the move order right)

[Jonathan Bryant]

http://www.chessbase.com/shop/product.asp?pid=491

If "Nigel Davies has done a DVD on it" is the criteria for deciding whether an opening is fashionable or not then I think we may have problems finding an opening that doesn't qualify.

[Joey Stewart]

I have been doing my best to help keep it out of fashion by playing 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 - my opponents groan every time I uncork that one - not the best line for white by any means, but it means you can play without having to conceed the horrendous positional weaknesses that white is normally forced into accepting to play one of the sharper main lines. Also, French players really hate to see the exchange so you get to put them on the psycological back foot right from the start - especially if you keep playing on and not accepting the draw, that makes them even more annoyed and liable to lash out in desparation to get a good game.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Poisoned Pawn?? Do you mean the Milner-Barry gambit (in the Advance) and similar?

In the Winawer: 1.e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3 6.bxc3 Qc7 7. Qg4 Ne7 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 (I hope I've got the move order right)

Ah, of course

I disagree with the comment above re the Exchange Variation - I have used it on occasion as a "surprise" weapon in the past, but never scored that well with it. Indeed, whilst many may groan *some* French players like playing against it more than any other line, because it shows that White doesn't want a fight - and so will often play "solid" but passive moves which risk handing Black the initiative.

(John Watson says something like that in his book on the French, IIRC)

[Arshad Ali]

I disagree with the comment above re the Exchange Variation - I have used it on occasion as a "surprise" weapon in the past, but never scored that well with it. Indeed, whilst many may groan *some* French players like playing against it more than any other line, because it shows that White doesn't want a fight - and so will often play "solid" but passive moves which risk handing Black the initiative.

(John Watson says something like that in his book on the French, IIRC)

I think the same. French players tend to be "passive aggressive" -- willing to make a fight of it if white wants to complicate with the Winawer, Classical or Tarrasch, but if white isn't in fighting mode, then willing to settle for a draw in positions where white may have a slight edge (Exchange, Advance). When I used to play the French, I often tried the Rubinstein: 1.e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4. Again, white has an edge where black struggles a bit to neutralise it with exact moves. Not the most exciting chess (unless white manages to unleash a kingside attack).