Article: 1119 of rec.games.chess.analysis Newsgroups: rec.games.chess.analysis Path: info!dregis From: dregis@exeter.ac.uk (David Regis=) Subject: Re: 1. e4 player bored with French: any suggestions: SUMMARY Message-ID: Organization: University of Exeter, UK. Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 13:10:56 GMT Thanks to everybody who sent or posted comments. My original post went: =I have switched to playing 1.e4 recently (wanting to get my grade up =over 1800 ELO) but am a bit fed up with the French Defence. = =I'll just talk aloud for a bit and would be interested to know if anyone =has a good idea for me. = =I've been playing the King's Indian Attack but haven't won any games =with it yet! I've even thought about playing 1.g3 because I quite =like g3 systems in general and could go for a Catalan if Black tried =to steer towards the French. For other defences I like the Panov =attack in the Caro and the 3.Nge2 line in the Sicilian, and have had =good results with them, particularly the Sicilian line. = =I'd be happy in the Tarrasch 3...c5 variation but 3...Nf6 seems to =give Blacks the sort of game that they want. I can't see much for =White in the main line, Black has a supposedly worse structure but =Black's pieces become very active. That's the sort of position I want =to play for White! = =I sometimes fancy the Advance but I don't see anything very convincing =for White in the main lines, and most people seem to go for 5...Bd7 =anyhow since Watson recommended it. = =And my one excursion into 3. Nc3 intending to play a Alekhine-Chatard =Attack went 3...Bb4 4.Nge2 Nf6 5. Bg5 which as far as I can see is a duff =version for White of the MacCutcheon. = =Does anybody have a good French-bashing weapon? It's quite putting me =off 1.e4. = =Thanks The responses were mainly: 1. you aren't going to find a bashing line, it's a good defence 2. suggestions of gambits 3. suggestions that I learn some main line Winawer theory 4. suggestions that I get a life 1. you aren't going to find a bashing line, it's a good defence =============================================================== - fair comment 2. suggestions of gambits ========================= - these included: 1. e4 e6 2. c4 d5 3. Qb3 (Bucker) 1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e5 c5 4. b4 (French Wing Gambit) 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Be3 (Alapin) 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bd3 (Milner-Barry) - there is even web page for a french Gambit at http://www.to.icl.fi/chess/french/ 1. e4 e6 2. c4 d5 3. Qb3 (Bucker) --------------------------------- I don't know any more about the Bucker idea. The other suggestions are rather curtly dismissed by Watson (Play the French, Pergamon): 1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e5 c5 4. b4 (French Wing Gambit) ------------------------------------------------------ 2. Nf3 d5 3. e5 (3. Nc3 {French Two Knights' is no real problem either for Black after} 3... Nf6 4. e5 Ne4 or 4... Nfd7 5. d4 c5) 3... c5 4. b4 { French Wing Gambit} 4... cxb4 5. d4 (or 5. a3 which can be met by either 5...d4 {JLW} or 5... Nc6 6. axb4 Bxb4 7. c3 Ba5 8. d4 f6) 5... Nc6 6. a3 f6 (6... bxa3 7. Bxa3 Nge7 8. Bd3 Bd7 9. O-O Nc8 10. Bxf8 Kxf8 {/\ ...Nb6, ...Rc8}) 7. axb4 Bxb4+ 8. c3 Ba5 9. Ba3 (9. exf6 Nxf6 10. Ba3 Bc7 {!}) 9... fxe5 10. dxe5 Nh6 11. Bb5 Nf7 12. O-O Bd7 13. Qe2 Qc7 14. Re1 O-O-O {! JLW}) With fair chances for Black in each line. 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Be3 (Alapin) --------------------------------- 3. Be3 {Alapin Gambit} 3... dxe4 4. Nd2 Nf6 Someone has just published a book on this line so they may know something I don't. I woud expect many club players to decline it on principle. (or 4... f5 {!} 5. f3 Nc6 6. Bb5 Nf6 {-+ Keres}) 5. c3 ( 5. f3 Nd5 (5... Nc6 6. c3 e5 {=+ Pachman})) 5... b6 6. g3 Bb7 7. Bg2 { Mieses-Janowsky 1896} 7... c5 {!? JLW}) with good chances for Black. 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bd3 (Milner-Barry) --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 (5... Bd7) 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Bd7 8. O-O { Milner-Barry Gambit} 8... Nxd4 9. Nxd4 Qxd4 10. Nc3 This is of course well-known, and maybe White has enough for the pawn. I have seen my esteemed Exeter colleague Peter Lane survive fairly comfortably after 10...a6, but Watson suggests White soon starts going downhill even after 10...Qxe5. He gives several of his own games which are convincing. 3. suggestions that I learn some main line Winawer theory ========================================================= - probably the best suggestion, but I do find the amount of theory daunting. That's why I ended up playing 4.Nge2. 4. suggestions that I get a life ================================ - this suggestion is gratefully received but I am reluctant to give up chess Conclusion? =========== Well, to be honest, I haven't seen anything obviously better than the KIA, except the main line Winawer. Maybe it's time to grow up and do just that. Anyhow, thanks again Dr.Dave -- Here's all that (with one or two extra lines) in PGN: [Event "?"] [Site "summary of responses"] [Date "1995.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "1. e4 player bored with French: any suggestions"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 (2. c4 d5 3. Qb3 {Bucker}) (2. Nf3 d5 3. e5 (3. Nc3 {French Two Knights'} 3... Nf6 4. e5 Ne4 (4... Nfd7 5. d4 c5)) 3... c5 4. b4 { French Wing Gambit} 4... cxb4 5. d4 (5. a3 d4 {JLW} (5... Nc6 6. axb4 Bxb4 7. c3 Ba5 8. d4 f6)) 5... Nc6 6. a3 f6 (6... bxa3 7. Bxa3 Nge7 8. Bd3 Bd7 9. O-O Nc8 10. Bxf8 Kxf8 {...Nb6, ...Rc8}) 7. axb4 Bxb4+ 8. c3 Ba5 9. Ba3 (9. exf6 Nxf6 10. Ba3 Bc7 {!}) 9... fxe5 10. dxe5 Nh6 11. Bb5 Nf7 12. O-O Bd7 13. Qe2 Qc7 14. Re1 O-O-O {! JLW}) 2... d5 3. Nc3 (3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 (5... Bd7) 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Bd7 8. O-O { Milner-Barry Gambit} 8... Nxd4 9. Nxd4 Qxd4 10. Nc3 a6) (3. c4 {French Gambit} 3... dxe4 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. f3) (3. Be3 {Alapin Gambit} 3... dxe4 4. Nd2 Nf6 (4... f5 {!} 5. f3 Nc6 6. Bb5 Nf6 {-+ Keres}) 5. c3 ( 5. f3 Nd5 (5... Nc6 6. c3 e5 {Pachman})) 5... b6 6. g3 Bb7 7. Bg2 { Mieses-Janowsky 1896} 7... c5 {!? JLW}) 3... Bb4 4. e5 (4. Nge2 dxe4 5. a3 Be7 6. Nxe4 Nf6) 4... c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. a4 Qa5 8. Qd2 Nbc6 9. Nf3 Bd7 10. Be2 Rc8 11. dxc5 Ng6 12. O-O O-O {(Fritz)} * From info!dregis Tue Oct 17 09:43:42 BST 1995