Fighting the French - a new concept

GM Yevseev suggests a new concept of combating the French. White plays 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 and then he deploys his pieces according to the scheme Ngf3, Bd3, c3, 0–0, against almost anything that Black may play. This will usually lead to exchanges in the centre and the appearance of an isolated queen’s pawn for White. 

PREFACE:

Nowadays the French Defence is one of the most popular opening schemes in response to 1.e4, so every player who begins his games by advancing his king’s pawn two squares will regularly need to play against it. I should like to suggest a new concept of combating it.

White plays 3.Nd2 (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2) and then he deploys his pieces according to the scheme Ngf3, Bd3, c3, 0–0, against almost anything that Black may play (with only minimal exceptions), and this will usually lead to exchanges in the centre and the appearance of an isolated queen’s pawn for White. Accordingly, after one rarely played move – 3...h6, as well as against four very popular variations: 3...a6, 3...Be7, 3...c5 and 3...Nf6, White plays in the same fashion and aims for the same type of position with an isolated pawn in the centre.

The scheme of development we have chosen enables us to reduce the study of this tremendously popular opening to a minimal number of pawn-structures in the middle game.

• Casa editrice Chess Stars
• Code 6314
• Anno 2011
• Pagine p. 384
• Isbn 9789548782838