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I am a 700 rapid player (I mainly play the bots and do puzzles: I can beat a 1200 bot pretty much every game, a 1300 bot most of the time, and I'm 1800-1900 puzzles). I have only been playing chess for a couple of years, and, as an older player (61), I sometimes find the pace of YT videos too fast, but your explanations are well paced, calm and easy to follow (and very thorough as you explain why each move is good/bad). Next game as black I am definitely giving the French defence a try out instead of just playing 1 e5. I seem to remember Judit Polgar saying the French was the first defence she learnt.
@@fakename7501 - sometimes, but when I've tried it with Gotham chess he just sounds drunk - because he actually speaks fairly slowly - and it can be more difficult to understand. I've found that Anna Cramling's mother is very good, slowly describing every thought before the move etc.
I have been playing french defence against e4 since 3 years ......and i have faced all these positions many a times in my games....well its a good summary to keep in mind while playing french defence ....i learned all these lines while analysing all my games from year to year .....you summafized it in 1 video ...hats off to you .....earlier i followed dereque kelly videos how to counter different openings ... it really practically worked for me
► Chapters 00:00 Best Chess Opening For Black Against 1.e4 00:19 Why the French Defense is powerful 02:09 1) Advance Variation: 3.e5 04:00 Common mistake by White 06:19 If White plays Bd3 to prevent Nf5 10:49 If White plays Bb5, pinning Nc6 13:36 White loses castling rights or the bishop 17:26 Mainline played by experienced opponents 20:02 2) Exchange Variation: 3.exd5 22:02 3) Rubinstein Variation: 3.Nc3 dxe4
Thank you so much for taking the time to make this content. You went so far out of your way to explain this to me in such incredible detail in a language foreign to you. Cheers!
Good night folks I thought I knew chess and I been playing since I was pre teen and now 46 and I've been places where I have won and I didn't want to learn and now I humble myself and won't stop being a chess feind,thank you for your service to the chess community.
What an extraordinary coincidence!!!😀 I was really pondering yesterday about what opening should I play against 1.e4? And then came a notification answering my question😃 Thank you so much GM Smirnov🙏😊
Great! This eliminates so many traps and attacks it's unbelievable. Several grandmasters beat Bobby Fischer with this French Defense. Thanks for good video
Very interesting video - was going to skip it as I'm a Sicilian player, but in a change of heart I watched and learned quite a lot. In fact, some ideas in the French are quite similar to the e6 Najdorf variation - blocking the line of attack towards f7 (..e6) and securing the b5 square (..a6).
Thank you for this interesting video. I liked the way you presented the options for white and I have looked at it several times to have a good grasp of the principles.
Thanks. I never studied chess when I was younger, but sometimes I would play and I knew how all the pieces moved, but I didn't know much about traps or strategy. I watched a chess video and got inspired and began playing anonymously at an online chess website. I was having some success with a variant of the French defense, but had to look it up to llearn about it. I have already learned a lot from you and am only halfway through your video. Thanks for the lesson. I think I will like and subscribe.
Igor, I much enjoy your videos. You have q pleasant soft voice, very clear, and easy to follow. I think one call tell a lot by one's voice and manner of speaking, and you come across as a really nice guy. Thanks again. I do have a question for you: I am an old man now, well kind of old ... 66 years old, and am wondering if i can reach 200 more rating points by studying tactics. I am about 2000 and in my country a national master title is given at 2200 points. I also study openings alot, but must admit my weakness is what to do in the later middle positions when the position is even, and i am not sure what to do. I end up looking for tactics and overdo a drawish position.
Much respect for you Igor you do depart with a lot of knowledge you have of the game helping people improve their game and giving pointers to think about two thumbs up 👍
Man, this video is so helpful, I was struggling with the caro kahn against 1.e4 with this defense es way more easy and solid for a beginner like me. just a litle recomendation: you should put the openning name on the title so people can be instantly awere of what is the video about, or for example if I'm looking for "french defense" videos and don´t see it in the title, I may not click on the video. Just a constructive opinion. Thanks a lot!
It s my favourite opening for black - similar to Caro, but more safe fot not so good player :d I like the trap on white e5 pawn when white bishop tries to pin knight on c6...
The French n Caro Kann can transpose too..i will try to see a few french defense speed runs if available n then use it in my repertoire..thank u fir this.
9:08 Hey Igor i have got a doubt. Instead of Bishop c5, couldnt you have also played knight f5, targeting the pinned knight? and also preventing the black bishop to protect the knight since the knight also covers that place? Thank you so much for spending your time for this!
Oh gosh you are so Awesome! I had played chess for 35 years and I only consider myself a novice because I do not have anyone to play with so I play against the computer. I learned so much from you Thank You so much.
Personally I prefer NF6 (which plays the waiting attacking game to 1.e4) or the Sicilian - Najdorf Or Dragon variation (both beginning with c5) or Schvengingen opening that is d5 to e4. - all most attacking opening replies by Black. But the Carokann and French defense are good too - the French defense however leads to a cramped game for the development of Black's pieces and delays castling for Black's King. The French defense is more defensive than attacking to 1.e4. Sicilian is the most attacking opening by Black against 1.e4 by games won by Black against e4 by history of chess.
The French Defense is solid for beginners and intermediates, but it's a bit passive for my taste (I'm about 2000), and 1. e6 has the weakness of blocking in the light-squared Bishop. That's why I personally prefer 1. d6 (Pirc Defense), as I'm going to play a King's Indian anyway so I don't need to worry about blocking in my dark-squared Bishop.
Thank you for insightful tutorials. I typically prefer 10 minute games due to time constraints, however I don't find myself improving. It seems I may benefit from longer games. What length of game should I play to have more time to think through better moves? I'm a 1200 to 1500 player.
Hi Rick, That's a very valuable insight that you have. Typically it is better to play longer games. You can play one or two longer games per week. You can checkout our free training mini course for more information. chess-teacher.com/chess-training-mini-course/
Lovely. I watched this defence and won against a stronger player in the first game! This defence gives black a solid opening base from which to launch an attack.
I appreciate the time he takes to teach and explain. However I think that introducing the engine/database/bots aka the computer to the game is a mistake because it’s like an answer sheet for a test. Allowing players to use the engine to help them when they’re playing an opponent. Bobby Fisher learned chess by studying there was no engine used in his games
As white, I've had great results playing the variation you go over at minute 18:00 (the Milner-Barry Gambit). However, I generally play the Horwitz Attack (Papa-Ticulat Gambit) to throw French Players off their game since few have seen it.
Best opening is 1e4 h5, 2.?? H4. Its the best cause it takes most people out of prep, and you just crush them in the midgame by playing fast and confident. Hikaru taught me that.
It's logic which helps with memorizing sequences but in the end, at a higher level memory trumps logic in the context of time. Which explains why after watching all these brilliant videos we struggle to get past 1500
Thanks for rekindling my interest in the French. Years and years ago I had read a chess book that dissed the French saying it leads to a very cramped game for black. Looks like they were wrong!
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![Solid & Powerful Chess Opening For Black Against 1.e4 [Tricks & Traps]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
