Download PGN of January ’25 French games
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Classical With 4 e5 Nfd7 5 Nce2 c5 6 c3 Nc6 7 a3 [C11]
The thirteenth game of Gukesh, D - Ding Liren, FIDE World Ch Singapore 2024, saw 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 e5 Nfd7, and instead of 5 f4 c5 6 Nce2 Nc6 7 c3, as in Game 1, Gukesh switched to 5 Nce2 c5 6 c3. After 6...Nc6, instead of 7 f4 or 7 Nf3, he played the slightly unusual 7 a3:
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The opening play isn’t perfect but rough equality results. Then Ding plays inaccurately at a couple of points in the middlegame and Gukesh misses some very real chances.
Ten days later, the previous World Championship contestants entered into this line in Carlsen, M - Nepomniachtchi, I, Champions Chess Tour Finals Oslo 2024. Carlsen has had previous experience with 7 a3 (likely something that attracted Gukesh’ interest), which Nepo doubtless realized. He tried the currently popular idea 7...a5, and after 8 Nf3, 8...a4 (Carlsen has a couple of games on the White side of 8....Be7 9 h4!).
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Now 9 h4 was met by 9...Qa5! and Black had enough central counterplay to equalize, although he soon misplayed.
Classical With 4 e5 Nfd7 5 Nce2 c5 6 c3 Nc6 7 Nf3 [C11]
Development by 7 Nf3 is much more common than 7 a3 and the knight move appeared in several games this month. In Vykouk, J - Buhmann, R, Bundesliga Sud 2024, Black played 7...Qb6 and White prevented lines with ...cxd4 and ...Bb4+ by 8 a3:
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Black played the forcing 8...f6 9 exf6 Nxf6 10 g3 Bd6 with a standard pawn structure which is objectively equal.
In Tabuenca Mendataurigoitia, D - Shirov, A, Spanish Ch Marbella 2024, Black play 7...Be7 (7...b5 is another interesting move).
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White chose 8 Ng3!?, hoping to develop actively by Bd3. 8...Qb6 9 a3 cxd4 10 cxd4 f6 followed, with standard counterplay and equality, whereas 8...Qa5! might have been even more challenging. 8 a3 (featured in a game by Carlsen in the notes), 8 h4, and 8 g3 are all more common and safer than 8 Ng3, keeping close tabs on the center.
Tarrasch Variation 3 Nd2 c5 4 exd5 exd5 5 Ngf3 Nf6 6 Bb5+ Bd7 [C08]
We’ve looked extensively at 3 Nd2 c5 4 exd5 exd5 5 Ngf3 Nc6 in this column, but I haven't paid sufficient attention to 5...Nf6, which has traditionally done satisfactorily in the hands of strong players going back to Petrosian, Bronstein, and Korchnoi, followed by Bareev, Short, and lately several GMs including Kramnik. Note that 4 Ngf3 Nf6 5 exd5 exd5 transposes; I discuss the move order issues in the notes.
The main line has always been 6 Bb5+ Bd7 7 Bxd7+ Nbxd7 8 0-0 Be7 9 dxc5 Nxc5:
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I use Ma Qun - Zhi Chen, China Team Ch, Shaoxing 2024, as an example, with recent games by Kramnik and Bluebaum in the notes. Although some French players may want to avoid playing with the isolated d-pawn, Black’s results and performance rating over a few thousand games are a good indication that this is a sound and practical choice, with the only drawback for both colors being the tendency to produce too many draws.
Tarrasch Variation 3 Nd2 c5 4 exd5 exd5 5 Bb5+ Bd7 6 Qe2+ [C08]
After 4 exd5 exd5, White can interpose 5 Bb5+, when 5...Nc6 leads to variations we have seen a lot of in the Archives. 5..Bd7 is played here as well and has some unique features. The most important one is 6 Qe2+ Be7 7 Ngf3 Nf6 8 dxc5 0-0:
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Black will regain the c-pawn and have active play (as in the game above but with more tactical possibilities). Ruiz Aguilar, P - Piskov, Y, WCh Seniors 50 Porto Santo 2024, illustrates typical ideas.
Tarrasch Variation 4 Ngf3 cxd4 5 Nxd4 Nf6 6 exd5 Nxd5 7 N2f3 Bb4+ [C07]
In the very common lines with 4 Ngf3 cxd4 5 Nxd4, Black can play 5..Nc6 (see the Archives), 5...Ne7!? (as tried by Aronian in the September column), and 5...Nf6, after which 6 exd5 Nxd5 7 N2f3 Bb4+ is a common try for Black to equalize:
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Martinez Alcantara, J - Harshavardhan, G, Titled Tue 10th Dec chess.com 2024, saw 8 Bd2 0-0 9 Bxb4 Nxb4 10 c3 N4c6 11 Bc4, a position in which White maintains a very slight advantage. If Black plays carefully he should be fine, and he had several options on the way to this position.
Instead of 8 Bd2, in Perez Gormaz, M - Fedotov, N, Titled Tue 17th Dec chess.com 2024, White tried 8 c3!?, a very enterprising double pawn sacrifice. This led to the forcing sequence 8...Nxc3 9 bxc3 Bxc3+ 10 Bd2 Bxb4:
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At first sight, White seems to have a promising play, but perhaps two pawns is a bit much. The game went 11 Bb5+ Nc6 12 Rc1?! (12 Nxd4 is more challenging) and Black could simply preserve his bishop with 12...Bb6!.
Tarrasch Variation 4 Ngf3 cxd4 5 Nxd4 Nf6 6 exd5 a6 [C07]
Instead of 6...Nxd5, Black can prepare the recapture ...Qxd5 (6...Qxd5 immediately is met by 7 Nb5!) by playing 6...a6:
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As far as I can tell, this is a good solution. Mannion, S - Coles, R, Sitges 2024 continued 7 N2f3 (7 Bc4 exd5 8 Bb3 or 8 Be2 is arguably more interesting, but Black has plenty of play) 7...Qxd5 8 Be2 e5 and Black had already equalized. 6...a6 is well worth looking into.
Till next month, John
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