Who would think that?
2 months ago I thought that Petrov is an interesting alternative to my 2. … Nc6 (after winning 1 OTB game) with a clear, easy play and maybe I should add it to my OTB repertoire. Now, after playing a few Petrov correspondence games I have one draw as White and 2 heavy losses as Black (also another one is coming up), 0.5:3.5. As Black I get under attack right after a few moves out of the book. I, probably, don’t understand the strategy here and seriously think about giving it up, at least for some time.
What about French defense? I always thought about it as some crowded, passive, etc. opening (if I am Black) – not my style at all, so I never played it as Black. As White I played Exchange variation, because I considered other variations as tricky, with dangers to my d4 pawn, etc. But recently I decided that it’s a shame to play Exchange and I should learn something better. I started playing thematic games, all Tarrash. Because it’s a tournament I have to play Black too. Suddenly, I have 2 wins as Black, as White – 2 wins are coming up (hopefully), and a chance to win in another one. So, it could be 4.5:0.5 or 5:0. I completely understand the ideas for both sides and feel comfortable, … weird.
I consider this interesting, a sharp re-evaluation of the opening.
I had it before, not to such degree, with Colle and Accelerated Dragon, that I don’t play anymore. Still Colle is not bad, just a bit boring and Accelerated Dragon just doesn’t give the expected results. Another one is Marshall attack for White, which I was afraid of before playing in a thematic tournament, now I consider it not frightening, but exciting.
February 9, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Sometimes an opening has more to offer then we think while other openings we grasp better then we could imagen.
One must try out an opening before really put it in the bin.
February 9, 2009 at 11:27 pm
The whole theme of the Petroff for Black is sacking a piece for the pawn on h2, trust me. The people who play it as black know how to sac on h2 seven ways to Sunday.
I don’t like to play it as White, and figure it pretty much plays into Blacks hands. I’ve played the Qb3 variation many times, have won my share. But really, it’s tailor-made for Black, not White. My Scotch opening avoids it completely, defangs it.
I play French and hundreds of games, at slow and quick time controls, mostly slow. Because I’ve played it so many times, any variation I usually have a better feel for the game than my opponent.
As White, I like to play advance var., then a3 and Be2. White can kick Black up and down the Q-side and you’ll often see White retreat the Q at b6 back to d8.
The exchange var. is really drawish unless White plays something like c4, which really opens things up, but few play it. It seems more popular right now on FICS, probably because the other line is so boring/monotonous. The c4 is it at least highly interesting.
Some will play Ng6 with Black, but I’m always thinking that White can simply shoot down the h-pawn at it. The good Fr. players who play that will know their sacs, though to free up f4.
February 9, 2009 at 11:33 pm
As Black, I actually like to see an early Qg4 from White as White can go down in flames.
The advance var. where White sacks the d4 pawn is quite good once you know the deep sacs. It actually takes some deep play by Black to avoid getting caught, not something your average blitzer as Black will see, quite deep. But on the face of it, White usually plays it like crap (not seeing the sacs) and it’s an easy win for Black
February 10, 2009 at 12:56 am
Rollingpawns,
Before you get too excited about the French, don’t forget you’ve only faced the Tarrasch. The true test of the French is 3.Nc3.
Linuxguy,
There’s an easy way to avoid a Bxh2 sac in the Petroff: castle queenside!
February 10, 2009 at 7:33 am
Azirdine, Castling queenside is an interesting thought/idea!
Nc3 is not a big deal if you simply play Nf6, or Ne7. I believe Bb4 is actually a bad move, although you may want to play it occasionally on-line just to break up the boredom/monotony. But BxN on c3 is just bad for Black. Occasionally, just for the heck of it, I have played Bb4, then after e5 and a3, play back to a5, then b6, but the bishop just gets locked out even there.
February 10, 2009 at 7:39 am
Nc3 is a much stronger try than the exchange variation, though.
Exchange var, by itself is quite dull unless White throws an f4 or c4 in there, then it can get interesting for both sides.
White can also play a tough exchange var. with some exact moves, like get that knight to d5 soon, with Bf4 behind it. NxB on g6 doesn’t help White, if that is all he is getting out of it.
February 10, 2009 at 7:45 am
There is a way to get a solid position from Nc3 as Black, if desired. dxe, Nxe, Nf6, with Nbd6 to follow, then move order gets intense to get Bb7 without blundering. White can play an early NxN on f6 or BxN on f6 to force QxN(orB). That variation is not bad for Black either, though, really.
February 10, 2009 at 7:46 am
SB: Nbd7, not Nbd6.
February 10, 2009 at 8:23 am
If White did play NxN, QxN would be bad for Black, but Black can avoid playing that with Nbd7 or Be7 first, but BxN, QxN is not bad for Black.
I could write a blog on the French. I didn’t give away all my secrets here.
February 10, 2009 at 11:08 am
chesstiger – yeah, you never know until you play a few games. I started to play Grunfeld in order to find a response to d4 I am comfortable with and I find it interesting, but I understand now that I should finish at least a few games to judge it.
linuxguy – for now I don’t like that after
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4
d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. Nc3 or 8. c4 I exchange eventually my Nf6, Black kingside is defenseless, it’s like White in Marshall attack. It’s also too many open lines/diagonals and I feel kind of under-developed, you know what happens in this case.
Thanks for the French lines, I’ll look at them. I like Nf6 reply to nc3, kind of gets me back to Nd2, Nf6, e5. Should check dxe4 lines, though.
Aziridine – I agree about Nc3. I don’t like Bb4, I played it a long time ago. I think White’s attack on the kingside overpowers Black’s play around queenside pawns. I would prefer Nf6 and as I said to linuxguy, e5 Nd7 would be fine. It’s a funny idea to castle queenside in Petrov, never tried it.
February 11, 2009 at 1:20 am
I see what you are saying, Rollingpawns. The best variation in that Petroff for Black seems to be 6…Bd6, then if 7.o-o o-o 8.c4 c6 Black has more game than the Nc6 var. (although I don’t really grok the point of Nc6) Say Bg4 and Ne7, f5 and Qf6, and it’s White’s king who is shivering in its boots.
Crafty wants NxN on c3 on move 9. I can’t recommend Crafty’s choice as per the reasons you gave.
February 11, 2009 at 9:53 am
linuxguy – I should try your line, looks like the only thing that could save Petrov for me.
February 11, 2009 at 3:30 pm
rollingpawn – The Nc3 was better than I had previously realized, until you brought it to my attention. I think sometimes I do something dumb and he gets Bg4 in. OTW, it’s just f5, then Qf6, Qh6. Usually, Black gets in some kind of sac before Qh6. I’ve played g3, only to see Ng4 and Nxh win quickly against me more than once, and even without the g3, same thing.
February 11, 2009 at 4:14 pm
linuxguy – this is one of the games I lost as Black, with a line 8. Nc3 :
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. Nc3 Bf5 9. Re1 Nxc3 10. bxc3 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 O-O 12. Rb1 Na5 13. Qf5 g6 14. Qh3 b6 15. Ne5 c5 16. Bh6 Re8 17. Nxf7! then it quickly deteriorated. Funny, at least until move 14 it’s “from the book”.
February 11, 2009 at 6:26 pm
That’s like that old proverb that once the book runs out, the mistakes happen. I didn’t see that shot with Nxf either, heh, but the game is resignable at that point, as Qc7 looks forced, then Qe6 and if Bd6, then Qf6(nothing shocking about the conclusion).
Funny, I wouldn’t have followed theory and would have played Bf6, then g6. You’d still be in book probably with Bf6 instead of c6. Eventually BxB on g7, KxB, then you can try for ..f5 possibly.
If you had seen Nxf, which neither of us did, then you could have played cxd, a psychological move to get him to hurry up with the BxR. If he plays BxR right away, then all of that massive initiative you developed on Q-side could pay off. I often win these games online because White thinks they are up the exchange and then next thing getting pushed back in the safe wing, or center, and just as easy for me to lose as White up the exchange here.
February 11, 2009 at 6:36 pm
SB: With Bf6 instead of c5.
I usually play better after losing an exchange like that because it simplifies the position and is like a splash of cold water on the face, plus there is psychological value of the burden of proof now being on White. Now White knows that a loss would be embarrassing and may play either too cavalier or tighten up. Frequently happens below class A.
In fact, the mark of a better player isn’t that they don’t get mated, but that they don’t mess up the lay-up (basketball term).
I wouldn’t give this variation up because of this one result. It’s just too bad that this wasn’t a blitz-game loss, instead of a possible tournament loss.
February 11, 2009 at 6:41 pm
I’ll show you a game where I just psychologically crushed someone’s opening (not really).
D haha. Check my blog in about half an hour. 
February 11, 2009 at 10:59 pm
I really like Bf6, then g6, it makes it much safer. Not sure about exchange, don’t like losing it
. It wasn’t OTB game, just correspondence one. I’ll try better lines with Bg4 or f5, I understand, I should get attack on kingside, I would like that, actually 
. Will check your blog.
February 14, 2009 at 1:06 am
The petrov was known many years ago as the drawing opening.I must have play it 50,60 times with only 1 draw.
I thought it would suite my defensive play.
I have played the frence many times and i like this better.
It can be cramped and restictive but as chesstiger says you have to get a feel for an opening.
I suppose that means lots of play and lots of lost games,untill you get into the finer points of the opening.
February 14, 2009 at 12:34 pm
chessx – I started another Petrov, will try to reverse the things. I realize that losing, if followed not only by understanding your mistakes, but finding positive solutions should lead to, as you say, “feel for an opening” and that will give a advantage in the middlegame.