Chess Openings: Learn to Play the French Defense!

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Chess Openings: Learn to Play the French Defense!

The French Defense is considered to be one of the best chess openings for black against e4. The French Defense has been played at the grandmaster level for decades and has been played by players such as Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, Anatoly Karpov, Mikhail Tal, Viktor Korchnoi, Anish Giri, and Ian Nepomniachtchi! The biggest chess player in the world right now playing the French Defense is Ian Nepomniachtchi as the French Defense has good chess strategy, chess ideas, chess moves, chess theory, chess principles, chess traps, chess tricks to win fast! The French Defense begins with the following moves:

1. e4 e6

In today’s video, we will be covering the French Defense in depth including the Advance Variation, Exchange Variation, Winawer Variation, and the Tarrasch Variation from the black perspective. The French Defense is a great chess opening for chess beginners as it teaches good chess opening strategy and chess opening theory which can help you win games fast! The French Defense is also one of the hardest chess openings to play against, as it is such a top tier opening. Why is the French Defense a top tier opening? Many believe the French Defense to be passive and slow, when in reality it is one of the strongest openings in all of chess. Many chess players hate playing against the French Defense because it is hard to attack yet difficult to defend against. The French Defense is solid but gives room for potential attacking chances. Next to the Sicilian Defense, the French Defense may be the most common chess opening for black in tournaments today, led by none other than Ian Nepomniatchi! The French Defense is the classic example in chess of low risk, high reward. This chess opening video was made to prepare you for any French Defense Variation, including the Tarrasch Variation, Winawer Variation, Exchange Variation, and Advance Variation! Here are the timestamps for each of these French Defense Variations!

Advance Variation: 1:20
Exchange Variation: 6:37
Winawer Variation: 9:25
Tarrasch Variation: 19:53

The French Defense is one of the greatest chess openings and a great way to beat higher rated players and improve your chess fast! We hope you enjoy learning how to play the French Defense!

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40 Comments

  1. the french will always have a place in my heart. it was my main opening for the longest time and im coming back to it and seeing a lot of success

  2. 1. e4 e6 2. d3 { C00 French Defense: King's Indian Attack } d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. dxe4 c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. Qc2 b6 7. h3 Bb7 8. Ngf3 Qc7 9. Be2 O-O-O 10. a4 g6 11. a5 Nxa5 12. Rxa5 bxa5 13. O-O Ne7 14. Nc4 Nc6 15. Qa4 f6 16. e5 Be7 17. exf6 Bxf6 18. Ng5 Rhe8 19. Bg4 Bxg5 20. Bxg5 Rd5 21. Bf4 Qxf4 22. Nb6+ axb6 23. Qxf4 Kd7 24. Qf7+ Re7 25. Bxe6+ Kd8 26. Qf8+ Kc7 27. Bxd5 { Black resigns. } 1-0

  3. Bro whites pawn was hanging half the game but good guide pverallπŸ˜‚

  4. Love the way you repeat and summarise each line – it really helps get it into my dumb head πŸ˜…πŸ˜…

  5. Hi Solomon, I'd like to hear you on the Chigorin variation of the French Defense (I cannot find any video of it on your channel (there is the Chigorin defense though). It is statistically very good (@ Lichess).

  6. Hi Chess Giant. πŸŽ‰. The way you go over the moves a second time in the video is very good teaching technique! 😊 Thanks. ❀

  7. Chess giant is the place to learn openings fr

  8. Been waiting for this for a very long time

  9. U can make play list and explain the variations more briefly

  10. Ahhhhhh thx Solomon!! Great defense, my fav defense ! Greeting from France ^^

  11. Thank, looking forward to more french

  12. @10:38 if you castle, the g7 pawn is pinned so white can play bxh6 creating a very dangerous situation it would seem … Am I incorrect on this?

  13. That is an awesome exchange French line. I have been looking for a different way to play that. Thank you, Solomon πŸ™

  14. To be honest, this video is quite long. It is such an exotic opening.

  15. For the attacking exchange variation setup, my engine says that it is a plus 1.4 for white

  16. Can you do a depth on exchange variation and how we can play a aggressive chess in a drawish game?

  17. Love the French! I figured you’d go with the Winawer for 3.Nc3 – just awesome dynamic play for both sides. Thanks for sharing!

  18. The Blackburne defense is very useful because it is easy to play and very solid. I have heard the Fort Knox variation is also very solid. Do you plan to make a video on that variation?

  19. I know you have bookmarks in the description, but you should consider adding markers to the video timeline. Thanks

  20. Absolutely loved the video and the idea that you gave

  21. You make great videos – I cant understand why you arent getting more views!

  22. I love your teaching style Solomon. Don't change it for anyone or anything.

  23. Great channel, thank you. Congrats from Brazil.

  24. Man, your opening videos are great. It's a great way for someone, who has never played these openings, to become acquainted with common ideas and themes.

  25. Thanks. I play the French a lot and find that most times opponents at my level – c1650 on lichess – play the exchange variation simply because they don't know any theory and it's the easiest move.

  26. Great video β€” I love the French. If anyone wants to go deeper, 1960 world chess championship, Botvinnik versus Tal, with Tal playing the Winnawer variation as black. Good stuff β€” v sharp

  27. Great video! Maybe a video if White plays King’s Indian Attack?

  28. Loving this – you got a new sub! πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»

  29. Hi Solomon! Love your videos. Is there any possibility of you making a video about the little known Chigorin variation of the French defence? e4 e5 Qe2! There isn't too much about this variation on YouTube.

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