Personally I think all this anti-French opening stuff is just in style, like nowadays it's in style to bash anything French. Listen guys, the French Defense has been known as a solid reply for black against e4 for 500 years, and the opening never really fell out of style during that time, unlike the King's Gambit *caughts, sorry had to mention it*. Yes, I can understand why players like Paul hate the French, heck, even I hate the French Defense, but you must admit those "pretty" pawn chains it creates are hard to break through.
Originally posted by mateulosePawn chains arent hard to break through....actually....I find them positionally weak!!
Personally I think all this anti-French opening stuff is just in style, like nowadays it's in style to bash anything French. Listen guys, the French Defense has been known as a solid reply for black against e4 for 500 years, and the open ...[text shortened]... those "pretty" pawn chains it creates are hard to break through.
For every pawn chain...there's a backward pawn.
SM
Originally posted by Strategy MasterActually I'm a huge fan of the pawn chain, because you don't have to worry about protecting a pile of pawns in the center or falling victim to a tactic that makes you lose one of those pawns. It may be passive and uneventful to glue your pawns in that typical pawn chain of the center, but at least you don't have to worry so much about one of those pawns being wisked off, which in turns out devestating. As for the pawn chain base, make sure you have no open files to it, and protect with half of your peices to make sure it doesn't go. There's no way they are bashing through that center wall, however they may try kingside attacks.
Pawn chains arent hard to break through....actually....I find them positionally weak!!
For every pawn chain...there's a backward pawn.
SM
I like Pawn chains too! I go by the Nimzovich definition, in which both colors are overlapping diagonal series of Pawns, as in the Advance French Defense.
If you mean a diagonal line of Pawns all defending each other...I like those too. I tend to put them on open files to keep my opponent from having any targets down the file.