2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25
The French Defense is called half-open, since the opening begins with moves e4 – e6, where Black is in no hurry to open his garrisons. The main task of the defenders is to prepare the d5 counterattack on the second move. The opening was dubbed so after the team of French chess players defeated their opponents from England in a match game by correspondence. To date, the French Defense has been carefully studied and is used in matches of the highest qualification.
The main danger for Black will be the isolated position of the c8 bishop. From here, corresponding tasks arise for opponents: White must develop his initiative, and the defenders must try to get their weak link out of a predicament.
French defense. Options
There are a large number of basic such openings, as well as their branches, which have been carefully studied and developed by a whole cohort of the best grandmasters and chess theorists. Black's first move strengthens the weak f7-square, but temporarily loses his balance on the central file. Black's strategic direction is based on the cardinal pawn attack c5– f6 after White has formed a strong front in the middle and then on the pressure of the destroyed formation. It is very important for them to withstand the attack in the first 20 turns of the match.
Exchange variation
White sometimes wants to simplify the position or draw, so they play like this, even though the first move provides them with minimal initiative. This variation is advantageous for Black, since his c8-bishop opens up a spacious road. It will be very difficult for them to win the game. There are two ramifications of the opening where White can gain more initiative if Black doesn't timely and correctly respond to the bishop's attack on g6.
Nimzowitsch system
According to some sources, this opening was played in 1620 by the Italian chess player Gioachino Greco before the opening got its real name. At the end of the 18th century, Louis Paulsen began to practice it, but Aron Nimzowitsch made a complete analysis of this position. The grandmaster noted that the move e5 fetters the rational development of the knight on the king's side and partly delays the formation of the entire flank. Nimzowitsch added here that the transfer of the attacking potential from d5 to e6 further weakens the position of Black's defense in the center.
However, White's last move starts to lose pace. This allows opponents to organize a coherent and active defense against an attack. It is quite difficult to give advantage in this position to one of the parties. There are many ramifications of this opening, developed by prominent chess masters:
- closed continuation of Nimzowitsch,
- variant by V. Steinitz,
- Paulsen attack,
- the position of Euwe and others
Tarrasch system
White actually refuses to fight for the center, moving the knight to K d2, and leaves the d4-pawn unguarded. This maneuver violates the laws of piece development, since White's dark-squared bishop is locked in his own rear. However, the formation guarantees reliability in the central segment of the field.
The prominent German chess theorist Siegbert Tarrasch has repeatedly and successfully played this variation of the French Defense for White, which is why it is mentioned in the name of the variation. The practice of subsequent years, as well as the matches between A. Karpov and V. Korchnoi, where the former did not win more than one game, shows that Black can equalize the situation by moving 3… c5! Subsequently, Karpov played with the knight not on d2, but on c3. This position also has a large number of ramifications.
L. Paulsen system
This development does not block the c1-bishop, the queenside knight is actively developing, building up sufficient tension in the center for Black. Robert Fischer, Alexander Alekhine and Vasily Smyslov often resorted to this position and developed their pieces quite successfully. Black has two main positions - Bishop on b4 or Knight on f6. Somewhat less often, against White's developing move, the defense resorts to the move with the pawn c5.
Particular attention is paid to the continuation of the Paulsen system, which is called the "Winover Variation" (1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. N c3 B b4). It is considered the most popular today. Foreign literature ascribes great meritin the analysis of this opening to M. Botvinnik and A. Nimtsovich - people who spent great effort in developing this direction.
Black actively intends to advance his pawns on the queenside after successfully pinning the white knight on c3. Protecting the weak side and attacking on the kingside is the main task for White. M. Botvinnik believed that the French defense for black in this arrangement is more of a priority. According to him, the defense here is quite sharp, it has counter-chances that neutralize the advantage of White's first move, even despite the fact that he has more freedom and two active bishops. The disadvantage for the attack is the doubling of pawns on the c-file. Black, knowing this, easily destroys the advantage with c5-c4.
The French Defense is a semi-open opening and should be chosen by patient players who can see the weaknesses of the opponent's position and counterattack in time.
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