Download PGN of June ’25 French games
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3 Nc3 Irregular: 3...h6 4 Nf3 Nf6 [C10]
If Black doesn’t want to enter into main line theory against 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 with 3...Nf6 or 3...Bb4, he has traditionally gone for some variation with 3...dxe4. Of late, a couple of alternatives have gained more attention, with a few strong players trying their hand as Black. 3...h6 is a sort of waiting move; Black’s idea is that it will be useful whether White chooses 4 exd5 exd5, 4 e5 c5, or 4 Nf3 Nf6, as in Christiansen, J - Carlsen, M, Titled Tue 29th Apr 2025, a blitz game which illustrates how Magnus Carlsen will prepare deeply even in an irregular line. The game went 5 e5 Ne4 6 Bd3 Nxc3 (6...Bb4 is the usual choice) 7 bxc3 c5 8 0-0?!:
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Here instead of the normal 8...Nc6, Carlsen played 8...c4! and already had the better chances.
A more promising move in this line is 5 Bd3, when Kevlishvili, R - Antipov, M, St Louis 2025, continued 5...Bb4 6 exd5 exd5 7 0-0, and here instead of 7...0-0, with a normal game in which White probably retains a slight edge, Black played 7...Nc6?!:
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This looks harmless but remarkably, White can force matters with 8 Re1+ Be6 9 Rxe6+! fxe6 10 Bg6+, after which Black is an exchange up, but so tied down that he stands worse already. In the game, White settled for 8 a3 Bxc3 9 bxc3 with a very modest edge.
3 Nc3 Irregular: 3...Be7 4 Nf3 Nf6 [C10]
Another irregular move which has should be noted is 3...Be7, with a similar idea of waiting for White to commit while making a useful move. This was played a few decades ago by prominent players such as Seirawan, Short, and before that, Romanishin. Today not many elite players have taken it up, although Caruana has used it, and Mikhail Demidov is an ardent devotee.
In the game Zhu, J - Harika, D, Pune 2025, White played 4 Nf3 Nf6 and here the main line is 5 Bd3 (I include a couple of illustrative games), whereas Zhu chose the fairly common alternative 5 e5, and Harika played 5...Ne4:
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Notice that strong players like Caruana have chosen 5...Nfd7 instead, and that may be just as good or better - see the notes. Anyway, after 5...Ne4, the normal move has been 6 Bd3, when it turns out that 6....Nxc3 7 bxc3 c5 is already equal, because 8 0-0?! c4! Favors Black. Instead, Zhu played the rare 6 Qd3 and after 6...Nxc3 7 Qxc3, White maintained a small advantage. A key move would be 6...f5!, as discussed in the notes.
3 Nc3 Irregular: 3...Be7 4 e5 c5 5 Qg4 [C10]
White can also play 4 e5 c5 5 Qg4. In Tomczak, J - Luczak, F, Polish Ch Krakow 2025, Black chose the most radical reply 5...g5:
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This has scored well, but there is much unexplored territory. White played the usual move 6 dxc5 and Black delayed his normal response 6...h5 by playing 6...Nc6. This led to complications, but I don’t fully trust it, so players of Black should probably study 6...h5 if they intend to play this way.
I think 3...Be7 is probably objectively better than 3...h6, but it’s fair to say that in both lines, it’s easy for Black to end up with a small disadvantage because of his lack of space. As far as I can tell, the play is usually close to equal and White has nothing that produces a large advantage against either move. Playing these lines could be fun and rewarding, but you want to know exactly what you’re doing against all of White’s logical tries.
Winawer Main with 7 h4 Qc7 8 h5 h6 9 Qg4 [C18]
After 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 Ne7 7 h4, a majority of the games we’ve seen in the past few years have been with 7...Qc7, but the older option 7...Nbc6 has it’s good points. After 8 h5 h6 9 Qg4 Nf5 10 Bd3, Black can best defend with 10...0-0!:
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Here the play can get very forcing and complicated. In Starozhilov, L - Tunyk, V, Kiev 2025, after 11 Qh3, Black went wrong with 12...c4? , and although White didn’t respond forcefully enough, he should have had a very large advantage. Correct was 12...cxd4!, which I’ve analysed in great depth by following a 2020 correspondence game which ended in a draw and still may represent best play. This is a line for which both sides should be well prepared, to say the least.
Winawer with 5 Bd2 Ne7 6 a3 Bxc3 7 Bxc3 [C17]
For many decades, after 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5 Bd2 Ne7, 6 Nb5 was considered the only ambitious move, with 6 a3 Bxc3 7 Bxc3 safe but harmless. Black’s main move has been 7...b6:
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This position was frequently contested; White nearly always played 8 b4, 8 Bb5+ or 8 Nf3, which are safe continuations, but Black has been considered comfortably equal. Just a few years ago, the previously very rare 8 h4 became popular and has remained the choice of strong players since. I notice that my Leela engine gives the very slightest of preferences to the rook's pawn advance, which undoubtedly explains its popularity. In Vokhidov, S - Suyarov, M, Qiziltepa 2025, Black responded with 8...Nbc6 9 h5 Qc7 with a difficult game ahead. In the notes, I briefly examine a few recent games with the usual 8...Ba6. Interestingly, White has established a nice winning percentage and above-average performance rating with 8 h4, so it has considerable practical importance and Black should be prepared to meet it.
Tarrasch Guimard 3...Nc6 4 Ngf3 Nf6 5 e5 Nd7 6 Bb5 a6 [C04]
We haven’t looked enough at the Guimard - 3 Nd2 Nc6 - recently, which continues to be played regularly. One promising idea for White after 4 Ngf3 Nf6 5 e5 Nd7 6 Bb5 a6 is the seldom-used 7 Ba4 (instead of the usual 7 Bxc6).
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In Acs, P - Papp, L, TCh-HUN 2025, Black tried the radical solution 7...b5 8 Bb3 Nxd4 9 Nxd4 c5, but after 10 c3! cxd4 11 cxd4, White had a clear edge due to his space and safe center. Better was 8...f6 or 8....Na5 (likely best). 7 Ba4 is apparently a safe and sound way to meet the Guimard which should attract more attention.
Tarrasch Guimard 3...Nc6 4 Ngf3 Nf6 5 e5 Nd7 6 c3 f6 [C04]
The move 6 c3 has always been popular. Black replies with the thematic 6...f6. In Chen, R - Rees, I, Titled Tue 6th May 2025, 7 Bb5 fxe5 8 dxe5 followed:
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Black chose 8...Be7, but after 9 Nd4, he played 9...Nxd4?! (correct was 9...Ndxe5!) 10 cxd4 and was at a lasting disadvantage due to White’s space and superior center.
Till next month, John
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