2 Nf3 Versus The French

Decades ago when playing Backgammon professionally there was a story going around about the best player in the world, a fellow named “Ezra.” As the story went “Ezra” enjoyed spending time watching players new to the game. When asked why he would waste his time watching novice players yet to have found a clue the answer was he liked watched those new to the game because they had no preconceived ideas about how the game was played. For that reason I have always found watching the play of newbies interesting.

In the second round of the European Senior 65+ an unrated player, Ryszard Borowik faced class A player Roger S Scowen, rated 1864. The opening moves were 1 e4 e6 2 Nf3. Now, “Everybody knows” the best second move is 2 d4, because players are taught to “Control the center,” are they not? Playing 2 d4 has become de rigueur. Who checks to learn what the latest version of Stockfish plays on the second move? The AW, that’s who. I was shocked, SHOCKED, to see the version of Stockfish at lichess.com plays 2 Nf3.

Ryszard Borowik UNR vs Roger S Scowen 1864
European Senior 65+ (round 2)
C00 French defence

1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Qe2 dxe4 4. Qxe4 Nf6 5. Qh4 Be7 6. d3 c5 7. Nc3 Nd5 8. Qg4 Nxc3 9. bxc3 Bf6 10. Bb2 e5 11. Qe4 Nc6 12. O-O-O O-O 13. h4 g6 14. h5 Bf5 15. Qe3 Bg4 16. Qxc5 Bxh5 17. Qc4 Bxf3 18. gxf3 Bg5+ 19. Kb1 Rc8 20. Qe4 f5 21. Qc4+ Kg7 22. Qb3 Na5 23. Qb5 Nc6 24. Bc1 a6 25. Qb2 Bxc1 26. Qxc1 h5 27. Be2 f4 28. Rh2 Rf5 29. Bf1 Rg5 30. Bh3 Rc7 31. Qb2 Qd5 32. Bg2 b5 33. Qb3 Ne7 34. Kb2 Qc5 35. Bh3 Nd5 36. c4 Nb6 37. cxb5 axb5 38. Kb1 b4 39. Be6 Rc6 40. Bg8 Rc7 41. Rhh1 Qxf2 42. Rhf1 Qc5 43. Rd2 Qc3 44. Bh7 Qxb3+ 45. axb3 Kxh7 46. d4 exd4 47. Rxd4 Rg2 48. Rxf4 Rcxc2 49. Rf7+ Kh6 50. Ra7 Rb2+ 51. Ka1 Rxb3 52. f4 Ra3+ 53. Rxa3 bxa3 54. f5 gxf5 55. Rxf5 h4 56. Rf6+ Rg6 57. Rf3 Kh5 58. Rxa3 Rg3 59. Ra5+ Kg4 60. Ra6 Nd5 61. Rg6+ Kf3 62. Rd6 Nf4 63. Kb2 h3 64. Rh6 Rg2+ 65. Kc3 h2 66. Kd4 Ne2+ 67. Kd3 Ng3 68. Rf6+ Kg4 69. Rh6 h1=Q 70. Rxh1 Nxh1 71. Kc3 Kf4 72. Kd4 Rg5 73. Kd3 Rd5+ 74. Kc4 Ke4 75. Kc3 Rd4 76. Kb3 Kd3 77. Kb2 Rb4+ 78. Kc1 Ng3 79. Kd1 Rb1# 0-1
   https://live.followchess.com/#!european-senior-65-2022/2005571260

GM Mikhail Bryakin 2441 RUS vs IM Balazs Csonka 2496 HUN
Titled Tuesday intern op 12th Apr Early 2022

1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Qe2 dxe4 4.Qxe4 Nf6 5.Qh4 c5 6.b3 g6 7.Bb2 Bg7 8.Bb5+ Bd7 9.Bxd7+ Nbxd7 10.d3 O-O 11.Nbd2 Nd5 12.Qxd8 Rfxd8 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.g3 1/2-1/2 (From the ChessBaseDataBase)

The programs frown on 3 Qe2, preferring 3 exd5, as in the following games:

Magnus Carlsen (2857) vs Julio Catalino Sadorra (2560)
Event: 42nd Olympiad 2016
Site: Baku AZE Date: 09/08/2016
Round: 6.12
ECO: C00 French defence
1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.d4 Bd6 5.c4 Nf6 6.c5 Be7 7.Nc3 O-O 8.Be3 b6 9.b4 a5 10.a3 Ng4 11.Bf4 Re8 12.Be2 axb4 13.axb4 Rxa1 14.Qxa1 bxc5 15.bxc5 Bxc5 16.dxc5 d4 17.O-O dxc3 18.Bc4 c2 19.Qa4 Bf5 20.Nd4 Bg6 21.Nxc2 Re4 22.Bg3 Ne5 23.Bxe5 Rxe5 24.Ne3 Rxc5 25.f4 h6 26.Qb4 Nd7 27.f5 Bh5 28.Qd2 Qg5 29.Qd4 Re5 30.Qxd7 Qxe3+ 31.Kh1 Qc5 32.Qd3 Re3 33.Qc2 Qe5 34.Qd2 Kh7 35.h3 Qe4 36.Kg1 c6 37.Rc1 Qe5 38.Bf1 Rg3 39.Qf2 Qd6 40.Rc4 f6 41.Rxc6 Qxc6 ½-½
https://www.365chess.com/game.php?gid=4009476

Vassily Ivanchuk (2704) vs Ian Nepomniachtchi (2714)
Event: SportAccord Blitz 2014
Site: Beijing CHN Date: 12/13/2014
Round: 1.8
ECO: C00 French defence
1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.d4 Nc6 5.h3 Be6 6.Bd3 Qd7 7.O-O O-O-O 8.Nbd2 f6 9.Nb3 g5 10.Re1 g4 11.Nh4 Kb8 12.Qe2 Bf7 13.Bf5 Qd6 14.Bxg4 Nge7 15.c3 h5 16.Be6 Bg6 17.Nc5 b6 18.Nxg6 Nxg6 19.Qb5 Nh4 20.Kf1 Rh7 21.g3 Ng6 22.Bf5 Nce7 23.Bxg6 Nxg6 24.Re6 1-0
https://www.365chess.com/game.php?gid=3921752

French 1. e4 e6 2. Nf3?

Meadmaker
Sep 10, 2009

So I decided to start learning an opening or two at some point, and decided the French Defense would be one I would try out.

The books all have it. 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5

There’s an occaisional variation mentioned, but that’s the line the books say is the usual one.

When playing blitz on chess.com, the most common second move I see is Nf3. What’s up with that? Has some master found great success with that line, but my books are too old for it? I just bought a book on the French Defense. 269 pages of French Defense. I doubt I’ll ever slug my way through it, but I thought I would try really studying one opening in depth, and seeing where it leads. In all those 269 pages, published in 2003, they don’t even mention the possibility of Nf3, or bother telling the reader how to reply.

So, am I just running into lots of players who don’t know the “right” move, or has someone advanced some theory showing why 2. Nc3 is superior to what people did for the last 100 years? And is there a better response than d5?
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/french-1-e4-e6-2-nf3

IM Daniel Gurevich Second Place Tie at the St Louis Invitational

IM Daniel Gurevich “cut his eye teeth,” as we say in the South, at the Atlanta Chess & Game Center, aka, the House of Pain.

I made a point to be near the first board game of the last round of the K-6 section when Daniel took clear first in the Supernationals at Opryland in Nashville back in 2009 and I was the first one to congratulate him. He was beaming and his face broke into a big smile as he took my proffered hand. His score of six and a half out of seven games raised his rating from 2075 to 2104, and it has not stopped rising. His FIDE page shows his current FIDE rating as 2471. It will continuing heading upward after his second place finish, tied with four others, in the GM section of the recently concluded St. Louis Invitational, with a undefeated score of plus two, both wins coming with the black pieces. The final crosstable shown at the website of the STLCC (https://www.uschesschamps.com/2017-saint-louis-invitational/pairings-results-gm) shows Daniel with the second highest performance rating (2563) behind only that of tournament winner IM John Burke (2606).

I would like to present all of Daniel’s games at the tournament, some of which I was fortunate enough to watch (“You GOTTA pull for somebody, man!” – David Spinks); all of which I have played over.

Two games annotated by his opponents follow below the games. The first game, which I enjoyed immensely, could be called a “real barn burner!” The ChessBomb shows a plethora of “red moves,” but then most fighting games are repleat with “off-color” moves, are they not?

IM Daniel Gurevich (2471) v IM Aman Hambleton (2484)

Rd 1

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 O-O 8. e3
Bf5 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 c6 11. a3 Be7 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. h4 g6 14. h5 g5 15.
Ne2 Nd7 16. Ng3 Bg7 17. Nf5 a5 18. Nd2 Re8 19. f3 c5 20. O-O Qb6 21. f4 g4 22.
dxc5 Nxc5 23. Qe2 Qxb2 24. Qxg4 Kh8 25. Rab1 Qf6 26. Rb5 Bf8 27. Rf3 Ne4 28.
Nxe4 dxe4 29. Rg3 Bxa3 30. Rb6 Re6 31. Rxb7 a4 32. Ra7 Ree8 33. Rc7 Bb2 34. Nd6
Qxd6 35. Rxf7 Rg8 36. Qf5 Bg7 37. Rg6 Qxg6 38. hxg6 a3 39. Qh5 Rge8 40. Rxg7
Kxg7 41. Qd5 Kxg6 42. Qd6+ Kf7 43. Qd7+ Kf6 44. Qd4+ Kf7 45. Qd7+ Kf6 46. Qd4+
1/2-1/2

White: IM Raven Sturt (2449)

Rd 2

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Bxc4 Nc6 6. Ne2 Nb6 7. Bb3 Bf5 8.
Nbc3 e6 9. O-O Qd7 10. Be3 O-O-O 11. a3 f6 12. exf6 gxf6 13. Ng3 Bg6 14. Qf3
Be7 15. Rfd1 Na5 16. Ba2 Nac4 17. d5 e5 18. Bxb6 Nxb6 19. a4 a5 20. Bb1 Rhg8
21. Bf5 Bxf5 22. Nxf5 Rg5 23. Nxe7+ Qxe7 24. Ne4 Rg6 25. d6 cxd6 26. Qc3+ Kb8
27. Qxa5 f5 28. Ng3 d5 29. Nxf5 Qg5 30. Ng3 h5 31. Qb5 h4 32. a5 hxg3 33. hxg3
Nc8 34. Rxd5 Rxd5 35. Qxd5 Rh6 36. Re1 Rh5 37. Qe6 Qg7 38. Rc1 Qh8 39. Rxc8+
Qxc8 40. Qd6+ Ka8 41. Qd2 Qh8 42. f3 Rh1+ 43. Kf2 Qc8 44. g4 Qc5+ 45. Kg3 Qd4
46. Qg5 Ka7 47. b4 Qc3 0-1

Black: GM Julio Catalino Sadorra (2554)

Rd 3

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. O-O c5 5. c4 Nc6 6. cxd5 exd5 7. d4 Be7 8.
dxc5 Bxc5 9. a3 O-O 10. b4 Bb6 11. Bb2 Ne4 12. Nc3 Nxc3 13. Bxc3 Bg4 14. e3 d4
15. exd4 Nxd4 16. Bxd4 Bxf3 17. Qxf3 Bxd4 18. Rad1 Qb6 19. Qxb7 Rad8 20. Qxb6
axb6 21. Rfe1 Bb2 22. a4 Bc3 23. Rxd8 Rxd8 24. Re4 g6 25. Bf1 Rd1 26. Kg2 Kg7
27. Rc4 Be1 28. Re4 Bc3 29. Bc4 Re1 30. Rxe1 Bxe1 31. b5 f5 32. f4 Kf6 33. Kf3
Bb4 34. h3 h5 35. g4 hxg4+ 36. hxg4 fxg4+ 37. Kxg4 Bd6 1/2-1/2

White: IM John Bartholomew (2442)

Rd 4

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 c5 6. O-O Nc6 7. a3 a6 8. dxc5
Qxd1 9. Rxd1 Bxc5 10. b4 Be7 11. Bb2 O-O 12. Nbd2 b5 13. Be2 Bb7 14. Nb3 Rfd8
15. Nfd2 Nd7 16. Bf3 Rab8 17. Rac1 Nde5 18. Bxe5 Nxe5 19. Bxb7 Rxb7 20. Ne4
Rxd1+ 21. Rxd1 Nc4 22. Nec5 Ra7 23. g3 g5 24. Rd7 Rxd7 25. Nxd7 Nxa3 26. Ndc5
Nc2 27. Nxa6 Bd6 28. Nd4 Nxd4 29. exd4 g4 30. f4 Kf8 31. Kf2 Ke7 32. Nc5 Kd8
33. Ke3 Kc7 34. Ke4 Kc6 35. Na6 f5+ 36. Kd3 Kd5 37. Nc5 h5 38. Ke3 Be7 39. Kd3
Bf6 40. Na6 Bd8 41. Ke3 Kd6 42. Nc5 Bf6 43. Na6 h4 44. Kd3 h3 45. Ke3 Kc6 46.
Nc5 Kd5 47. Kd3 Bh4 48. gxh4 0-1

Black: GM Ioan-Cristian Chirila (2557)

Rd 5

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Qxd1+ 7. Kxd1 f6
8. Be3 e5 9. Nd2 Be6 10. Bc4 Kf7 11. Kc2 Nd7 12. Rad1 Nb6 13. Bxe6+ Kxe6 14. b3
Nc8 15. f3 Nd6 16. c4 b6 17. Nb1 Nb7 18. Nc3 c6 19. g3 Bb4 20. Kb2 Rad8 21. a3
Bc5 22. Bxc5 Nxc5 23. b4 Nd3+ 24. Kc2 Nf2 25. Rxd8 Rxd8 26. Rf1 Nh3 27. Nd1 f5
28. exf5+ gxf5 29. Ne3 f4 30. gxf4 exf4 31. Ng4 h5 32. Nf2 Ng5 33. h4 Nxf3 34.
Nh3 Nd4+ 35. Kb2 f3 36. Ng5+ Kf5 37. Nxf3 Kg4 38. Ne5+ Kg3 39. Rg1+ Kh3 40.
Rh1+ Kg3 41. Rg1+ Kh3 42. Rh1+ Kg2 43. Rd1 Ne6 44. Re1 Nf4 45. Re4 Re8 46. Rxf4
Rxe5 47. Rf7 a5 48. Rf6 axb4 49. axb4 c5 50. Rxb6 cxb4 51. Rxb4 Re4 52. Kc3
Rxh4 53. Rb2+ Kg3 54. c5 Ra4 55. Rb3 h4 56. c6 Ra8 57. Kd4+ Kg2 58. Rb2+ Kg3
59. Rb3+ Kg2 60. Rb2+ 1/2-1/2

White: IM Atulya Shetty (2403)

Rd 6

1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Nc3 Nb6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8.
b3 O-O 9. Bb2 Re8 10. Rc1 Bg4 11. d3 Qd7 12. Ne4 f6 13. Nc5 Bxc5 14. Rxc5 Bh3
15. Bxh3 Qxh3 16. b4 a6 17. a4 Qe6 18. a5 Nd5 19. Ba3 b6 20. Rc1 Rad8 21. Qb3
Nd4 22. Nxd4 exd4 23. Bb2 bxa5 24. bxa5 Kh8 25. Bxd4 Qxe2 26. Qd1 Qe6 27. Re1
Qxe1+ 28. Qxe1 Rxe1+ 29. Rxe1 Kg8 30. Bc5 Rb8 31. Be3 Rb3 32. Rc1 Rxd3 33. Rc6
Nxe3 34. fxe3 Rd6 35. Rxc7 Rd5 36. Kg2 Rxa5 37. Ra7 h5 38. h4 Kh7 39. e4 Kg6
40. Kf3 Ra1 41. Kf2 a5 42. Kf3 a4 43. Kf2 a3 44. Kg2 a2 45. Kh2 Kh7 46. Ra8 g6
47. Ra7+ Kg8 48. Kg2 Kf8 49. Kh2 Ke8 50. Kg2 Kd8 51. Kh2 Kc8 52. Kg2 Kb8 53.
Ra3 Kb7 54. Ra4 Kb6 55. Ra8 Kb5 56. Rb8+ Kc4 57. Rc8+ Kd3 58. Rd8+ Ke3 59. Ra8
Rd1 60. Rxa2 Rd2+ 61. Rxd2 Kxd2 62. Kf2 Kd1 63. Kf1 1/2-1/2

Black: IM Steven Zierk (2493)

Rd 7

1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 O-O 8.
O-O Nxd4 9. Qxd4 d6 10. Qd3 Rb8 11. Bg5 Be6 12. Rac1 a6 13. b3 Re8 14. Rfd1 Qa5
15. Bd2 Qh5 16. a4 Nd7 17. Nd5 Ne5 18. Qe4 Bf5 19. Nf4 Bxe4 20. Nxh5 Bxg2 21.
Nxg7 Kxg7 22. Kxg2 Nd7 23. Be3 Rbc8 24. Rd5 Rc6 25. Rcd1 Rec8 26. f4 f5 27. Kf3
Kf7 28. a5 Nf6 29. R5d3 Ne4 30. Bb6 Nf6 31. h3 Nd7 32. Be3 Nc5 33. Bxc5 Rxc5
34. Rd5 R8c6 35. e4 Rxd5 36. Rxd5 e6 37. Rd4 Ke7 38. g4 fxe4+ 39. Kxe4 b6 40.
axb6 Rxb6 41. Rd3 Rb8 42. f5 Rf8 43. Rf3 gxf5+ 44. gxf5 Rg8 45. fxe6 Kxe6 46.
Kd4 a5 47. Re3+ Kd7 48. Kc3 Rg2 49. Rd3 Kc6 50. Rd5 Rg3+ 51. Kb2 a4 52. bxa4
Rxh3 53. a5 Re3 54. Rh5 Re5 55. Rxh7 Rxa5 56. Kc3 1/2-1/2

White: IM John M Burke (2502)

Rd 8

1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e5 Ne4 5. Ne2 Qb6 6. d4 e6 7. Ng3 c5 8. Bd3
Nxg3 9. fxg3 c4 10. Be2 Be7 11. O-O Nc6 12. g4 Bd7 13. c3 f6 14. exf6 gxf6 15.
g5 O-O-O 16. gxf6 Bxf6 17. Kh1 Rhg8 18. b3 cxb3 19. axb3 e5 20. dxe5 Nxe5 21.
Nxe5 Bxe5 22. Qxd5 Qg6 23. Bf3 Bc6 24. Qc4 Rdf8 25. Bxc6 Qxc6 26. Qxc6+ bxc6
27. Be3 Bxc3 28. Rxf8+ Rxf8 29. Rc1 Bb2 30. Rb1 Re8 31. Bxa7 Re2 32. g3 Kb7 33.
Bg1 Kc7 34. Rf1 Kd6 35. Rf7 h6 36. Bf2 Bc1 37. Kg2 Rb2 38. Rf3 Ke5 39. h4 Ke4
40. g4 Bf4 41. Rh3 Be5 42. g5 hxg5 43. hxg5 Kf5 44. Rd3 1/2-1/2

Black: GM Jayaram Ashwin (2474)

Rd 9

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 c6 4. O-O Bg4 5. h3 Bh5 6. c4 e6 7. d4 Be7 8. cxd5 cxd5 9. Qb3 Qb6 10. Qxb6 axb6 11. Nc3 Nc6 12. Be3 Nd7 13. Nb5 O-O 14. Rfc1 Rfc8 15. a3 Na5 16. Rxc8+ Rxc8 17. Rc1 Rc6 18. Rc3 Kf8 19. g4 Bg6 20. Nd2 Bc2 21. b4 Rxc3 22. Nxc3 Nc6 23. f4 Nf6 24. Kf2 Ne8 25. Nf3 Nd6 26. Bc1 Ne4+ 27. Nxe4 dxe4 28. Ne5 Nxd4 29. Ke3 Nb3 30. Bb2 f5 31. g5 b5 32. Bc3 Bd6 33. Bf1 Bxe5 34. Bxe5 g6 35. Bb2 Ke7 36. h4 Kd6 37. Bh3 Kd5 38. Bg2 Bb1 39. Bh3 Kc4 40. Bf1 Bc2 41. Bg2 b6 42. Bf1 Bb1 43. Bg2 Ba2 44. Bf1 Kd5 45. Bg2 Kc6 46. Bh3 Kd6 47. Bg2 Kd5 48. Bh3 Bb1 49. Bg2 Kc4 50. Bf1 Ba2 51. Bg2 Bb1 52. Bf1 Bc2 53. Bg2 Bb1 ½-½

IM Daniel Gurevich vs. IM Aman Hambleton [Round 1]

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/202166652

IM Bartholomew vs. IM Daniel Gurevich [Round 2]