Variations I recommend for White include the Alekhine-Chatard Attack and the Alekhine Gambit against the Winawer. Black's best line is certainly the Winawer, but there are safer alternatives like the Classical or Burn Variations. The Tarrasch is a line for later on in your chess life, in my opinion.
2... d5
3. Nd2
Prevents the exchange of Queens after 3...dxe4
3... Nf6 4. Ngf3
There are now two alternatives for Black: the old 4...c5 and the modern 4...b6.
5. g3 Nc6 6. Bg2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Re1 b5 9. e5 Nd7 10. Nf1 a5 11. h4 b4 12. Bf4 a4 13. a3 bxa3 14. bxa3 Nd4
Black's attack on the Q-side/centre is easier, and at the moment has got
further, but White is aiming at mate.
5. g3 Bb7 6. Bg2 Be7 7. O-O c5 8. Re1 Nc6
...with Black perhaps planning to castle Queen's side.
Other ways of avoiding 2. d4 include the Tchigorin variation 2. Qe2, and the Two Knights' Variation with 2. Nf3.
2...d5, 3. Nc3 Nf6, 4. e5 Nd7, 5. d4 c5
The main lines of the French start with
3. Nd2 (Tarrasch Variation)
3. exd5 (Exchange Variation)
3. e5 (Advance Variation)
4. exd5 exd5
4... Qxd5 has been tried
And now White has two choices: to continue normal development, or to aim for immediate exchanges in the hope of a better endgame.
5... Nc6 6. Bb5 Bd6 7. O-O Nge7 8. dxc5 Bxc5 9. Nb3 Bd6 10. Nbd4 O-O 11. c3 Bg4 12. Qa4 Qd7 13. Be3 a6
White has isolated the d-pawn but the endgame is a long way off
4. e5 Nfd7
White again faces a basic choice: normal development with Bd3 or the more
aggressive f4.
8... Nb6 is the Leningrad variation
9. Nf3 f6 10. exf6 Nxf6 11. O-O Bd6 12. Nc3 O-O 13. Re1 Bd7
The pawn structure is advantageous to White but Black's active pieces give
excellent chances in this complex position.
5... c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ndf3 Qb6 8. g3 cxd4 9. cxd4 Bb4+ 10. Kf2 f5 11. Kg2
White has gained space at the cost of time.
3... c5
The key counter-blow in the French
4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3
Now the familiar line is 5...Qb6 but 5...Bd7 is a good way of avoiding this.
Bd3 (risky), Be2 (safe), or a3 (best).
6... cxd4 7. cxd4 Bd7
An ancient trap is 7...Nxd4 8 Nxd4 Qxd4 9. Bb5+ (DIAGRAM)
Diagram (trap)
winning
8. O-O Nxd4 9. Nxd4 Qxd4 10. Nc3
10... a6
(10... Qxe5 is risky but playable)
Now 11. Qe2 with the idea of following up with Rd1; White has some pressure but Black has prospects of a win with the extra pawn
When two moves of the Nb1 are tried:
play
8... Nf5 9. Nc2 Bb4+ 10. Kf1
And Black has two equally worthwhile tries:
(i) 10... h5 securing the position of the Nf5
(ii) 10... Be7 so if 11. g4, 11...Nh4 keeps the balance of attack and defence of d4
8... Nf5 9. Na4 Qa5+ 10. Bd2 Bb4 11. Bc3 Bxc3+ 12. Nxc3 Qb6 13. Bb5 Bd7
with equal chances
6... c4 7. g3
7. Nbd2 Na5 (better 7... f6) 8. b4 cxb3 9. c4 is a dangerous gambit -- Keres.
7... f6
This move, unusually hitting the head (e5) of the chain instead of the base
(b2), gives Black equal chances.
This is a way of avoiding the familiar lines with ...Qb6 which seems at least
as good. White has tried several approaches (6. dxc5, 6. a3) but this move is
fine.
4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Bd6 6. Qf3 Be6 7. Ne2 Nge7
is level: the open K-file may become important after exchanges
4. Nxe4 Nd7
4... Bd7 5. Bd3
5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Nxf6+ Nxf6 7. Bd3 Be7 8. Qe2 O-O 9. Bg5 c5 10. dxc5 Qa5+
White still has freer play and prospects of attack. In the endgame the Queen's
side majority may count for something.
4... Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 Qb6 8. Na4 Qa5+ 9. c3
9... cxd4 10. b4 Nxb4
This difficult piece sacrifice has become very topical.
11. cxb4 Bxb4+ 12. Bd2 Bxd2+ 13. Nxd2 b6 14. Rb1 Ba6 15. Qb3
Black probably doesn't have enough for the piece
5. Nxe4 Be7 6. Bxf6
And Black has tried both recaptures:
...when White hopes that the greater harmony of the pawns will give the
advantage.
After 7. Nf3 Black hopes the two bishops and
open d- and g-files will give active play.
5. e5 h6 6. Bd2 Bxc3 7. bxc3 Ne4 8. Qg4 g6 9. Bd3 Nxd2 10. Kxd2 c5 11. Qf4 Nc6 12. Nf3
White has the idea of dxc5 and Nd4, with advantage.
And there is yet a further choice:
6. Bxe7, the safe Classical line.
6. h4, the aggressive Alekhine-Chatard attack.
7. f4 O-O 8. Nf3 c5 9. Bd3 f5 10. exf6 Rxf6 11. Qd2 Nc6 12. dxc5 Nxc5
Again we have a classic French imbalance between White's better pawns and
Black's counterplay
6... Bxg5 7. hxg5 Qxg5 8. Nh3 Qe7 9. Qg4
The N goes to h3 to allow this Q move when White has good prospects of attack.
Black may decline the Gambit with a passive game.
4... dxe4 5. a3 Be7 6. Nxe4 Nf6
An open game with about equal chances has resulted.
White has a pawn, but Black has active play for it
The Winawer Exchange Variation is harmless for Black
5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Nge2 Nge7
Equal game.
5. a3
5... Bxc3+
5... Ba5 has been tried: 6. b4 cxd4 7. Qg4 Ne7 8. bxa5 dxc3 9. Qxg7 Rg8 10. Qxh7 Nbc6 11. Nf3 Qc7 12. Bf4 Bd7 13. Bd3
Variation
with complex play
6. bxc3
This is the critical position in the Winawer. Black has given up the important
dark-sqaured bishop to weaken White's pawns which can be attacked down the
c-file. Black will try to block the centre to slow up any White attack.
6... Ne7
6... Qc7 is safer, with the idea if 7. Qg4 f5 8. Qg3
7... Qa5 8. Qd2 Nbc6 9. Nf3 Bd7 10. Be2 Rc8 11. dxc5 Ng6 12. O-O O-O
...with both sides having chances.
7... Qc7 8. Qxg7 Rg8 9. Qxh7 cxd4 10. Ne2 Nbc6
This position is the starting point of some very detailed opening research.
Both sides have horrid weaknesses.
This is a slower way to play but offers fewer chances for Black to win
This document (french_d.html) was last modified on 30 Jan 1996 by
Dr. Dave