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The Tricky Schlechter Variation against the French Defense
Course
113 episodes
(6 hours 21 min)
(6 hours 21 min)
Creators
GM Avetik Grigoryan
After 1.e4, the French Defense(1…e6) is the 3rd most popular option for Black, behind Sicilian(1...c5) and 1…e5.
Our own coach, GM Avetik Grigoryan, played it all his life with the Black pieces.
So there’s a good chance you’ll face it in many games and need to be well-prepared against it...
See moreMoves like 3.Nc3(mainline), 3.Nd2(Tarrasch), 3.e5(Advanced French) are the most common replies. You can expect Black to be well-prepared there.
That’s why in this course, our Grandmasters offer a repertoire starting with 3.Bd3 (Schlechter Variation), which is relatively new, and often many French players aren’t well-prepared against it.
In the introduction video, GM Avetik narrates one of his stories when he had a hard time against the 3.Bd3 line.
Below are some of the positions from the course:
By the end, you’ll have a tournament-ready repertoire to fight the French with the White pieces, knowledge of the middlegame plans, and a collection of attacking ideas.
Let’s jump into the lesson!
What you'll learn
- A full repertoire to counter the French Defense after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Bd3, covering important variations, sidelines and ideas.
- Why 3.Bd3 is a powerful move, even if it breaks the opening principle of developing the Knight before the Bishop.
- White’s strange Knight maneuver, which looks like a blunder but has a deeper idea behind it.
- Model games to help you understand this opening better.
- Typical techniques of playing against Black’s bad Bishop in the French.
- How to play with the initiative and attack an enemy King stuck in the center and more.
Course Content
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113
Episodes -
2
Attachments -
6 hours 21 min
4.9
Students give this course an average of 4.9 out of 5 stars.
Shreyash Karkare
Very Good Course Of Opening Sir I am Crushing 200+ fide rated opponent who are playing 3.Nf6 :D
Jose Moreno
Great course! I love this entire course!
Only one thing, studying the course I found a little blunder:
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Bd3 dxe4 4.Bxe4 Nf6 5. Bf3 Nbd7 6.Ne2 e5
7.0-0 e4 8.Cg3 exf3 9.Re1+ Be7 10.Nf5 Nb8 11.Rxe7+ Nxe7 12.Nxg7+ Kf8
13.Bh6 Kg8 14. Qxf3 Nf8
In this position, you recomend 15.Nh5 in the course and this move is a blunder because 15...Nf5, the best option is 15.Qf6 winning.
Just a little mistake in a great course!
Thank you a lot!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Oh... Right!
Thank you very much!
Petrisor Gavrila
Excellent course! It is a real GEM!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thanks!
You're going to make your opponents hate you for your 3.Bd3 :)
Petrisor Gavrila
Hope so!😁👍
Hannes Selander
Love the course so far, but in the line Nbd7 4. Checkmate, as I was analysing this position, I found that Nh5 in response to Nf8 was a mistake according to stockfish 16 and that Qf6 immediately was the only winning move. Against Nh5 computer found Nf5! in response and apparently it black is holding with best play. Still a fantastic course that offers an objectively good sideline with a lot of venom!
Ivan Stipcevic
Very, very nice. Most of the lines are not "your typical French". Really enjoyed this course
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thank you very,very,very much! :)
Sahas Narkar
Best in the world
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Haha :)
Woodpusher xxx
Super course. Just one thing : Today I faced OTB c7 after 5...Bd6 and after Nc4 Bc7 the way forward is not crystal clear to me (tried Bg5 since he had left the diagonal but it is not very powerful). would be great if there was a small addition with this line :)
ChessMood
You should with Bf4. Exchange opponent's good bishop, with your bad one. And then dominate the bad Bc8 :)
BTW, the best way to get answered to questions is posting in the forum, in the PRO Member's channel.
Marc Lonoff
Surprising resource for white.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Indeed! :)
daahir xidig
best course
ChessMood
Even better than the Endgame Roadmap?
Kian Guan Lim
Easy to understanding and exciting to try out
ChessMood
Thanks!
Siddhant Gaikwad
nice openings
ChessMood
Thank you!
Siddhant Gaikwad
I love chessmood
ChessMood
Love such comments! :)
Amelito Reyes
Clear and easy-to-understand the ideas of the 3. Bd3 variation against the French Defense.
ChessMood
Thank you, Amelito!
Alex Sahakyan
Dinesh Kumar Sharma
this course is very fantastic!! I already won 2 games by playing this against strong IM.
ChessMood
Only 2? :)
Thanks!
Paulius the Witcher
I've often had a hard time vs french, but here comes Chessmood team to the rescue! This 3.Bd3 line is awesome vs french cause first it's great surprise weapon, immediately puts french players out of their comfort zone (forces them to think on move 3) and not a lot of theory/books on this line elsewhere, so you're setting yourself to know more than opponent and gain advantage both on board and clock. In my online practice with this, the results are great!
ChessMood
Thank you very much for this beautiful review, Paulius!
Anton Volga
I like this line for black (from Anish Giri):
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Bd3 c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.c3 c4 7.Bc2 Bd6 8.O-O O O 9.h3 Re8 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 Nc6 12.Nbd2 Bd7 13.Re1 g5 14.Bg3 Bxg3 and so on
I don't think it's covered in this course, but it's a great way for Black to play
ChessMood
It's covered too :)
Here: https://chessmood.com/course/french-defence/episode/1856
GS
Tina Vehl
Artyom Manukyan
WIM_Siranush Ghukasyan
WIM_Susanna Gaboyan
Amazing !
Giorgos Kechagias
Powerful Schlechter variation 3. Bd3
Tanmoy Mitra
It is a powerful weapon
ChessMood
Great!
sero gharakhanyan
Mateo Jackson
love it
Rohan Joshi
Awesome!
ChessMood
Thanks!
David Hakhinyan
jayaram ramanna
This is just awesome ... powerful surprise weapon
Brad Pevehouse
Very nice! I never knew this before.
GM Avetik Grigoryan
After having a successful playing career where he became the Armenian Champion in 2010, GM Avetik Grigoryan found his passion for chess coaching and switched to it full-time.
Since then, he has guided many ambitious players to become Grandmasters and International Masters and has over 10 years of coaching experience.
He believes anyone can improve at chess, with the right mood and proper direction. And with that vision, he founded ChessMood in 2018.
After having a successful playing career where he became the Armenian Champion in 2010, GM Avetik Grigoryan found his passion for chess coaching and switched to it full-time.
Since then, he has guided many ambitious players to become Grandmasters and International Masters and has over 10 years of coaching experience.
He believes anyone can improve at chess, with the right mood and proper direction. And with that vision, he founded ChessMood in 2018.
The French Defense arises after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 and it’s one of the most popular openings you’ll face against 1.e4.
To counter it, we recommend playing the French Defense Schlechter line starting with 3.Bd3. It’s a trendy line, with the right mix of aggression and solidity.
History of the French Defense and Schlechter Variation
The first game in the French opening was played and won by Gioacchino Greco in 1620.
The opening is named in the honor of French players who employed it during the correspondence match between the cities of London and Paris in 1834.
The Schlechter Variation(3.Bd3) was first played between Ignaz Kolisch - Conrad Vitzthum von Eckstaedt. The former won the game.
But the variation is named after Carl Schlechter, a strong player from the late 19th century. He first employed it against Geza Maroczy in Budapest, in 1896. That game ended in a draw.
White’s Main ideas in Schlechter Variation(3.Bd3) of the French Defense
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White’s 3.Bd3 is aimed to discourage Black from playing against 3...Nf6. If Black still decides to play 3…Nf6, White plays 4.e5 and with the right moves, gets an initiative in the position.
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After 3.Bd3 dxe4 4.Bxe4, the White Bishop will exert pressure on the h1-a8 diagonal. This makes it tough for Black to develop their c8-bishop.
Is the French Defense Schlechter Variation sound?
The French Defense Schlechter variation is a trendy line played by 2600+ Grandmasters, most notably GM Alexander Onischuk.
It has less theory and leads to positions where White has good chances to fight for an advantage. So it’s a sound opening choice for anyone looking to counter the French Defense.
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Course
113
Episodes
2
Attachments
6 hours 21 min
113
2
6 hours 21 min
Creators
GM Avetik Grigoryan
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