Preface
Black can enter the French defence, as a separate opening, on move one. I believe that seems to be comfortable for him – to have a reliable defence against 1.e4.

The point is however, that chess is becoming more popular and universal and you should have various weapons in your opening armour (..) According to the generally accepted classification, the French defence is semi-open.

I think it can suit the style both of aggressive tactical players, as well as of the adherents to the patient positional maneuvering. The philosophical justification of the French defence is quite solid. (..)

In this book you will not find the equivocal answer to principled questions of the type “Can you equalize by playing the French defence?”, or “Can White obtain a convincing advantage after 1...e6?”.(..)

We have already seen in the French defence striking novelties in variations with perfect reputation, as well as rehabilitation of lines long past and forgotten. Accordingly, I have decided to present to my readers the French defence – the way I see and understand it.

I believe that chess players of all levels can find in this book something new. It will enable some of you to include the French defence in our opening repertoire and for some others to enrich your opening knowledge and sharpen the understanding of its ideas.

The time has long passed when you could have played the opening only according to common sense. Therefore, there are many extensive analyses of concrete positions in the book and new ideas discovered in the process of preparation for games and tournaments.

This book has been written from the point of view of Black, but this should preclude studying it by players who prefer the White side of the French defence. It is always useful to know something thoroughly.

It may happen that a player, who loves the White side against the French, might become an ardent fan of it as Black!

Nikita Vitiugov

Contents:

Part 1. White avoids the main lines
1.e4 e6

1 2.b3; 2.f4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2 2.d3; 2.Qe2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3; 3.e5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4 2.d4 d5 3.Bd3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
5 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25

Part 2. The Advance Variation
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Nf3 Nc6

6 6.Be2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
7 6.Bd3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
8 6.a3 Nh6 7.b4 cxd4 8.Bxh6; 8.cxd4 Nf5 9.Be3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
9 6.a3 Nh6 7.b4 cxd4 8.cxd4 Nf5 9.Bb2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
10 6.a3 Bd7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Part 3. The Rubinstein Variation
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7

11 5.g3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
12 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Nxf6 Nxf6 8.Bd2; 8.Bxf6; 8.Be3 . . . . . . . 56
13 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Nxf6 Nxf6 8.Bh4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
14 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Nxf6 Nxf6 7.g3; 7.Bd3; 7.Be2; 7.Be3 . . . . . . . . . . .71
15 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Nxf6 Nxf6 7.c3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
16 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Bd3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . .  87

Part 4. The Morozevich Variation
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Be7

17 4.c3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  101
18 4.e5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
19 4.Ngf3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
20 4.Bd3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

Part 5. The Tarrasch Variation with 3...c5
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5

21 4.c3; 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.dxc5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
22 4.Ngf3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23 4.Ngf3 cxd4 5.exd5 Qxd5 6.Bc4 Qd6 7.Bb3; 7.Qe2 . . . . . . . 146
24 4.Ngf3 cxd4 5.exd5 Qxd5 6.Bc4 Qd6 7.0-0 . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Part 6. The Winawer Variation
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4

25 Various without 4.e5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
26 4.e5 b6; 4...c5 5.Qg4; 5.dxc5; 5.Bd2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
27 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Bd3; 7.h4; 7.a4; 7.Nf3 . . . . . 182
28 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189

Part 7. The Steinitz Variation
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6
29 4.Bd3; 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Nce2; 5.Nf3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205
30 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . 217

Nikita Vitiugov is a world champion with the Russian team in 2010. He won the Russian cup in 2008, the Russian higher league in 2007, and the bronze medal in the Russian Superfinal in 2009. His current rating is 2710.