French 101: Exchange Variation

This game provides a nice introduction to the French Exchange Variation.  Black slowly outplays his opponent until disaster strikes at move 28. 

French 101: Classical in Jermuk

Tatiana Kosinteva beats Hou Yifan in a French Classical in Jermuk, Armenia.  While the novelty in the game is 11.Nd1, which is dubious, the bigger flaw in the game is Black's plan to exchange the light-squared Bishops.  Black position is left stretched out of shape, and Kosinteva drives the point home.

U.S. Championship: French Burn Variation

Hess plays a good game. Review 5...Nbd7, the secondary move in the variation, being played about half as often as 5...Be7. The ending is not looking easy to convert until the very nice move 31.c5.

U.S. Championship: Winawer French

9.h4 has brought White good statistics, but it's edgy, and not likely objectively best. As such it's vulnerable to home analysis. We may know soon whether that's what happened here. Nakamura succeeds in creating a dynamic position quickly, but in doing so gives away the White advantage by move 12. Interestingly, both players are serious French players.

The novelty in the game is 19.Re1. It's most certainly not prepared and probably won't enter into theory. By the time Nakamura plays 23.Rh2??, he's already on the ropes.

Corus 2010: Classical French

A relatively quiet and impressive performance by Carlsen. For 7...Qb6, see Wesley So's win against Kamsky in the World Cup (G10 below).

Three rounds to go.

Corus A Wijk aan Zee (NED), 16-31 i 2010														cat. XIX (2719)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Kramnik, Vladimir	g	RUS	2788	*	1	.	.	1	½	½	.	½	½	½	½		1	7	2853
2.	Carlsen, Magnus	g	NOR	2810	0	*	½	½	½	.	1	1	.	.	½	½	1	1	6½	2823
3.	Shirov, Alexei	g	ESP	2723	.	½	*	0	0	.	½	.	1	1	1	½	1	1	6½	2822
4.	Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2790	.	½	1	*	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	.	.	5½	2755
5.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2708	0	½	1	½	*	½	½	0	.	.	.	1	1	½	5½	2764
6.	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	g	CUB	2712	½	.	.	½	½	*	.	½	½	½	1	½		½	5½	2743
7.	Ivanchuk, Vassily	g	UKR	2749	½	0	½	½	½	.	*	.	.	½	½	½	1	1	5½	2751
8.	Karjakin, Sergey	g	UKR	2720	.	0	.	½	1	½	.	*	½	½	½	1	½	½	5½	2745
9.	Leko, Peter	g	HUN	2739	½	.	0	½	.	½	.	½	*	1	½	½	0	1	5	2706
10.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	ITA	2675	½	.	0	½	.	½	½	½	0	*	1	.	½	0	4	2646
11.	Tiviakov, Sergei	g	NED	2662	½	½	0	½	.	0	½	½	½	0	*	.	.	1	4	2664
12.	Short, Nigel D	g	ENG	2696	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	0	½	.	.	*	0	.	3½	2628
13.	Van Wely, Loek	g	NED	2641	0	0	0	.	0	½	0	½	1	½	.	1	*	.	3½	2622
14.	Smeets, Jan	g	NED	2657	0	0	0	.	½	½	0	½	0	1	0	.	.	*	2½	2535

French 101: Rubinstein--8.Be3

The rap against the Rubinstein has usually been that Black is playing for a draw. It's not that simple.

French 101: Rubinstein--Karjakin over Navara

Karjakin plays very accurately to defeat Navara's French Rubinstein. If you're going to play 3.Nc3, you have to be prepared for several mainlines, including in particular the Winawer, the Classical, and the Rubinstein. (And note that Tarrasch players (3.Nd2) have to be equally prepared for the Rubinstein.) You'll also need to look at several minor lines, including 3...Nc6, 3...c6, 3...c5, 3...Be7, and 3...h6. We'll take a look at each here with time.

French 101: Classical--Kamsky loses with White against So

Gata Kamsky will have his work cut out for himself at the World Cup today, after dropping the first game against Wesley So with the White pieces. So is something of a French specialist.