You can’t expect to refute an unfamiliar but solid opening move when you are Black.
Settle for a good middlegame.
Henrik Rudolf White
Stephan Rausch Black
Bundesliga 2005-6
French Defense C01
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 ♗d3!?
This rare move forces Black to weigh up whether it is bad or just unusual.
3...dxe4 4 ♗xe4 ♘f6 5 ♗f3 c5 6 ♘e2 ♘c6
Black has trouble developing his c8-bishop after 6...cxd4 7 ♕xd4! ♕xd4 8 ♘xd4.
7 ♗e3
By now it should be obvious that White has a good position. It could get better with 7...♘d5 8 ♗xd5! (8...exd5 9 dxc5). The key is 8...♕xd5 9 ♘bc3! ♕xg2 10 ♖g1 ♕xh2 11 ♗f4 and 12 ♘b5.
7...♕b6?
The most Black should expect is good practical chances, e.g., 7...e5 8 ♗xc6+ bxc6 9 dxe5 ♕xd1+ 10 ♔xd1 ♘g4.
8 ♘bc3! cxd4
Black wisely avoids 8...♕xb2 9 ♖b1 (9...♕a3 10 dxc5 ♗xc5?? 11 ♖b3 ♕a5 11 ♖b5).
9 ♘xd4 ♗c5 10 ♗xc6+ bxc6 11 0-0 ♘d5?
Better but still unhappy is 11...♗xd4 12 ♗xd4, e.g. 12...♕c7 13 ♗xf6 gxf6 14 ♕f3 (14...f5 15 ♘b5!).
12 ♘a4! ♘xe3? 13 fxe3 ♕a5 14 ♕h5! g6 15 ♕xc5 ♕xa4 16 ♘xc6 resigns.
Question 213: What happens after 12...♕a5 ?
Mark Bluvshtein White
Thanh Trang Hoang Black
Budapest 2003
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 ♗d3 dxe4 4 ♗xe4 ♘f6 5 ♗f3 c5 6 ♘e2 ♘c6 7 ♗e3 cxd4 8 ♘xd4 ♘e5 9 0-0 ♘xf3+ 10 ♕xf3 e5 11 ♘b5 a6 12 ♖d1 ♗d7 13 ♘d6+ ♗xd6 14 ♖xd6 ♕c7 15 ♖xf6! gxf6 16 ♕xf6 ♖g8 17 ♗g5 ♗c6 18 ♘c3 h6 19 ♕xh6 b5 20 ♖d1 ♖b8 21 ♕f6 ♔f8 22 ♗h6+ ♔e8 23 ♘d5 ♖xg2+!? 24 ♔f1 (24 ♔xg2 ♖d8) ♗xd5 25 ♖xd5 ♕c4+ 26 ♖d3! ♕e4 27 ♕h8+ and wins.