Exeter Chess Club: The ideas behind the French Defence o White's chances on the King's-side White's chances on the K-side: Pillsbury - Lasker (Nuremberg, 1896) o Black's chances on the Queen's-side Black's Queen's-side attack: Neumann - Tranmer, Manchester, 1950 o The bad Black light-squared Bishop and the bad endgame for Black Black's bad bishop and the bad Black endgame: Tarrasch,S - Teichmann,R (14) [C14] (San Sebastian, 1912) o The good endgame for Black Fischer,R - Petrosian,T [C12] Curacao ct, 1962 o French pawn formations A : The hanging centre (=/+=) White's chances with a hanging centre: Nimzovitch - Salwe (Carlsbad, 1911) Black's chances with the hanging centre: Van Scheltinga - Van der Tol [C02] , 1946 B : The c5 lever only (+=) White's chances with only the ...c5 lever: Tarrasch - Noa (Hamburg, 1885) C : The f6 lever only (+=) Example with only the ...f6 lever: Hubner - Larsen (2) [C04] Montreal Intl, 1979 D : Two open files (+/-) White's chances with two open files: Watson - Short (Brighton, 1983) E : No pawn levers (+-) Tarrasch - Eckart [C05] Nuremberg, 1889 F : The isolated Queen's Pawn (+=) Tatai-Korchnoi, Beersheva 1978 G : The Winawer Formation (=/+=) Blacks chances in the Winawer: Tolush - Botvinnik (Ussr Ch'p, 1945) H : The French 'Small Centre' (=/+=) (Thanks, Peter!)
25
Embed
Exeter Chess Club The ideas behind the French Defence.doc
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Exeter Chess Club: The ideas behind the French Defence
o White's chances on the King's-side White's chances on the K-side: Pillsbury - Lasker (Nuremberg, 1896)
o Black's chances on the Queen's-side Black's Queen's-side attack: Neumann - Tranmer, Manchester, 1950
o The bad Black light-squared Bishop and the bad endgame for Black Black's bad bishop and the bad Black endgame: Tarrasch,S -
Teichmann,R (14) [C14] (San Sebastian, 1912)o The good endgame for Black
Fischer,R - Petrosian,T [C12] Curacao ct, 1962 o French pawn formations
A : The hanging centre (=/+=) White's chances with a hanging centre: Nimzovitch - Salwe (Carlsbad,
1911) Black's chances with the hanging centre: Van Scheltinga - Van der Tol
[C02] , 1946 B : The c5 lever only (+=)
White's chances with only the ...c5 lever: Tarrasch - Noa (Hamburg, 1885)
C : The f6 lever only (+=) Example with only the ...f6 lever: Hubner - Larsen (2) [C04] Montreal
Intl, 1979 D : Two open files (+/-)
White's chances with two open files: Watson - Short (Brighton, 1983) E : No pawn levers (+-)
Tarrasch - Eckart [C05] Nuremberg, 1889 F : The isolated Queen's Pawn (+=)
Tatai-Korchnoi, Beersheva 1978 G : The Winawer Formation (=/+=)
Blacks chances in the Winawer: Tolush - Botvinnik (Ussr Ch'p, 1945) H : The French 'Small Centre' (=/+=) (Thanks, Peter!)
Consider the French defence pawn formation in the diagram. You can sort of 'feel' that White should be attacking on the K-side, and Black on the Q-side. That's where they each have more space, and can organise their attacks better. Nimzovitch taught that these 'pawn chains' should be attacked at the base - in this case, at d4 and e6. White will aim for the pawn break f2-f4-f5; Black with ...c7-c5 and/or ...b7-b5-b4.
So In the line after 1 e4, e5; 2 d4, d5; 3 e5 we see 3...c5, attacking the base. The immediate reply 4.c3 by White transfers the base, and therefore the focus of the attack, to c3. Black can push past with ...c4 and go for ....b5-b4, or exchange on d4 with ....cxd4,cxd4 which brings the base one step mearer again, at cost of relieving some tension. There can follow 4...Nc6; 5 Nf3, Qb6. now the natural 6.Bd3 leaves the d-pawn exposed (although you can play it as a gambit), and a logical sequence is: 6 Be2, cxd4; 7 cxd4, Bb4+ 8 Kf1 since 8. Bd2 risks 8...Nxd4. Nowadays we are less rigid about these things: for example, White need not sit back on the Q-side, and instead often plays 6.a3 threatening b4, and experience has shown that this is not an idle threat. Black usually moves one more step down the chain with 6...c4, but a playable alternative is 6...f6!?, attacking the head and not the base. Admittedly after 7 exf6 Black's e-pawn is a bit sickly, but for the moment White is in no position to attack it.
The most important feature of positions shown in the first diagram is not itself actually shown: this is the Black light-squared (Queen's) Bishop. Stuck behind the pawn on e6, it will play little role in the game for a while. This
feature led Bob Wade to coin the line 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Qb6 planning ...Bd7 and ...Bb5. Recently there has been a small fashion for 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bd7!? idea ...Bc6. More commonly Black will play ...b6 and ....Ba6 to secure the exchange (see Hubner-Larsen), but often as not Black just carries this piece as a slight liability on d7, waiting for its chances after ...e5 or in an endgame when it might reappear on b5.
White's chances on the King's-side
The King's-side attack is mainly seen in the middlegame. There are genuine chances here for White, particularly if there are other factors favouring the attack. For example, in the Alekhine-Chatard attack White sacrifices a pawn: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. h4!? for an open h-file and attacking chances, or in another line Nimzovitch invented 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. Qg4!?, giving up the d-pawn but intending to base an attack on the wedge at e5, when Black's usual Queen's-side attack has no natural outlet. There are many attractive miniatures where White's attack crashes through in these lines. However, Black players with a little knowledge of these lines can avoid the worst dangers, and so White usually plays more slowly.
White's chances on the K-side: Pillsbury - Lasker (Nuremberg, 1896)
Despite the weak c-pawn, White is well placed here: Black cannot quickly organise a Queen's-side attack while the White Bishops are nicely placed to influence events on both sides. The Black King cannot comfortable castle ...O-O with the holes all over the defences there.
Just as Black is getting somewhere on the Queen's-side we have a classic Pillsbury breakthrough. This is a vacating sacrifice to allow the Ne2 to move up into firing position, hoping to catch the Black King in the centre.
21... gxf5 22. Nf4 h4 23. Ra1 Be7 24. Rxa4
A deflecting sacrifice, pulling the Bd7 away from the support of e6.
White's energetic start has not given him anything concrete. Meanwhile, Black has ample opportunities on the Queen's-side, with a sickly pawn on c2 to lean on.
The point immediately in front of an isolated pawn is a great outpost for a Knight. The Bishop retreats, but soon wishes it had a 0-th rank to retire further.
The bad Black light-squared Bishop and the bad endgame for Black
Everyone (Stean, Harding, Taulbut...) quotes this game: Tarrasch gives a beautifully clear example of what can go wrong for Black with the bad light-squared Bishop in the endgame. All the other pieces come off, and Black cannot stop an invasion of the White King on the dark squares.
[Why does everybody quote this game? Laziness? Or is it that it's not so easy to do for White? Or that Black players now see it coming and avoid it?]
Black's bad bishop and the bad Black endgame: Tarrasch,S - Teichmann,R (14) [C14] (San Sebastian, 1912)
The Queens have come off leaving a bad Black Bishop. White has potential control of the d4 point and would ideally like to get rid of the Black Knight for his own Knight or Bishop, so that he can occupy d4 unchallenged.
White has used the extra space and good Bishop to make some progress on the King's-side. This progress consists of open lines, and Black cannot easily oppose Rooks on the h-file because the White King would immediately barge in through the unlocked door at c5.
If White's King's-side initiative dies down, which it often will with an exchange of Queens, White may be left facing a persistent Queen's-side attack from Black (after all, not trying for mate, the Q exchange need not affect its force) and perhaps over-exposed pawns.
Fine gives a helpful analysis of possible pawn formations which might arise from the French. With a sensible distribution of pieces, we might expect
A : The hanging centre (=/+=)
FIX
This is best for Black. It is also the most common and important type of centre. The e-pawn is weak but White cannot easily attack the K-side because of the need to prevent ...e5. In most French games Black can keep White worrying about enough other things on the board to stop White making much use of theoretical advantages.
An actual example:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5
This is the classic French conjuring trick with the White pawn centre.
...Now you don't! Without the f-pawn White risks being rolled over. Even with the f-pawn White must still pay constant attention to Black possibilities of an ...e5 break, so much so that White may undertake little elsewhere on the board.
This formation is more favourable to White, but look at the pieces! White has spent so much time carefully arranging the pawns and Knights that the Black pieces have had time to come to very good squares. The proud White d-pawn is
under some pressure (not lots of pressure yet because of the Bxh7+ trick), the White Queen's-side is no more developed now than at move three, and Black can eye up a few stray White pawns (b2, d4, f2). The position possibly is slightly more favourable to White, but in practical play the conversion to a full point is a long hard struggle in which Black has good chances to win, since if ...e5 does ever come the d-pawn will be passed.
White's chances with a hanging centre: Nimzovitch - Salwe (Carlsbad, 1911)
After a long first act we see the c-file being hotly contested with an additional two plus points for White: the outpost on c5 and the initiative on the King's-side. At this point Black snaps and concedes a pawn for some chances to re-arrange his defences.
White now has the e-file all to himself, and Black cannot strike down the impudent Knight because of the back rank mate. Black tries to contest the e-file...
44... Kf8 45. Nf7 Re8 46. Ng5 Rce7 47. Nh7+ 1-0
C : The f6 lever only (+=)
White can exchange exf6 and restrain the e-pawn: this usually signals a good middle-game for White and a better ending.
Example with only the ...f6 lever: Hubner - Larsen (2) [C04] Montreal Intl, 1979
This is poor timing: both ...f6 and ...c5 have been tried but the White centre is stronger than ever, and will be unhindered by the need to defend a tense centre. A good middlegame for White but only a slightly better ending.
White's chances with two open files: Watson - Short (Brighton, 1983)
White's Knight parachutes in. Of course, ...Bxg5 removes the intruder but at cost of cenceding the dark squares.
19... Rg8 20. Kh1 Na5 21. b3 Rg7
White spies loose piece on a5.
22. Bxe6 Bxe6 23. Nxe6 Qxe6 24. Qxa5 1-0
A pawn down with the King still stuck in the middle, Nosher had seen enough.
E : No pawn levers (+-)
White's game at its best: a built-in King's side attack with f4 and even g4 is unhindered by the need to defend the centre, and Black's pieces have very little room, and no counterplay to slow up White's attack. I actually couldn't find an example of this, but some of Black's problems are illustrated in the following early game in the Tarrasch Variation by its founder.
Tarrasch - Eckart [C05] Nuremberg, 1889
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2
This distinctly unclassical move has been a major line ever since: it avoids the ...Bb4 pin, allows c2-c3 reinforcing the d-pawn, and has a mind to go later to f3, while the Ng1 goes via e2 to f4 or g3. 3... Nf6
Black's king is in the firing line with little support. This is the sort of fierce initiative Black can be faced with if no counterplay is forthcoming. Now Black is obliged to move the f-pawn.
11... f5 12. exf6 Nxf6 13. Ng5
Black must make some concession on the King's-side
13... g6 14. Bxg6
In such positions, this sacrifice is a matter of technique more than imagination.
14... hxg6 15. Qxg6+ Kh8 16. Qh6+ Kg8 17. Ng6 1-0
The gang of thuggish White pieces cannot be stopped.
F : The isolated Queen's Pawn (+=)
Typically this arises through the Tarrasch Variation, as Karpov and Korchnoi battled on through their 1974 match, e.g. game 16:
Karpov repeatedly showed that Black labours under a disadvantage in this line, and Korchnoi repeatedly showed that it was possible to draw with the IQP. The IQP is associated with possibilities for a Knight outpost on e4 and chances for a King's-side attack, as in this striking game:
The weakness created by h3 now meets swift punishment.
12...Qg3 13. Bf5 Re2 14. Nd4 Nxd4 0-1
(resigns, because 14... Nxd4 15. cxd4 Bxd4 16. Bxc8 Rxf2 and Black will soon mate)
G : The Winawer Formation (=/+=)
White has prospects of a King's-side attack with f4-f5, but Black's attack on the c-pawns can be certain of opportunities. The big structural disadvantage for Black is the lack of the Bf8, creating possibilities of a dark-square campaign. Black should castle Queen's-side, if at all.
Blacks chances in the Winawer: Tolush - Botvinnik (Ussr Ch'p, 1945)
This is the problem with the Winawer: you may get a Bishop stuck in your throat. Here Black sacrifices the exchange, confident he has enough going for him on the Q-side, which the Bishop was holding up!