French Defense

Here are some funny Diagrams which I want to show you OP.

I think the below Diagrams can help you figure out how to play your Light Square Bishop the most effective way possible.

The above position is kind of funny because I added tons of Bishops to it, but I think by adding all the Bishops. You can begin figuring out where your ideal Bishop spots are!

The Above Diagram shows the Triangle Pawn Formation.

The Light Square Bishop starts on f1 and it can move to all above squares.

What square is best?

What if I was to tell you Bishop on d3 is best square and Bishop on e2 is second best square.

Can you see and understand why?

- Bishop on b5 or c4 will just be captured

- Bishop on g2 can’t be captured, but look at it attacking d5 pawn defended by 2 different black pawns c6 + e6. It’s like trying to punch a rock. It’s just totally solid like granite which is why a Bishop on g2 wouldn’t be very good.

You can understand how looking at your opponent pawn set up.

It can tell you what to do!

If your opponent plays Triangle set up, You will know the d3 or e2 squares are the key spot for your Bishop.

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‘What about the below set up?

What if I told you Bishop on g2 is best spot.

Bishop on d3 is second best spot.

Bishop on e2 is third best spot.

The Bishop on c4 & b5 are actually bad locations.

Why?

Well a Bishop on c4 should be easy to see why it bad because enemy pawn can just take it.

What about b5?

The reason bishop on b5 is bad is because it allows your opponent to make a favorable trade.

Look at Black Bishop in below picture:

Black Bishop on c8 is attacking Blacks own e6 pawn & b7 pawns.

It’s like a prisoner trapped behind its own pawn set up.

‘The Black Bishop can only move to 1 square (d7 square)

‘It is a sad chess piece.

‘So image you playing your Bishop to b5 as white and doing check on enemy King.

‘What do you think Black will do?

They will block for sure!

Do you think Black wants to trade your rock star Light Square Bishop in exchange for his sad Imprisoned Light Square Bishop?

Of course! Black would love to make that trade.

Trading off your best piece for his worst piece would be small victory for him!

So you see the pawn set up can teach you what pieces are good and what pieces are bad.

‘It can teach you what pieces you should want to trade vs. the ones you absolutely don’t want to trade.

It can also teach you what squares to put your pieces on to get the most benefit from your pieces.

- Pawn Structures & Pawn Formations are extremely important in chess

A Great Chess player once said the following:

“Pawns are the Soul of Chess. It is they alone which uniquely determine the attack and the defense, and on their good or bad arrangement depends entirely the winning or losing of the game.”

- François-André Danican Philidor

I can’t help, but to admire the awesomeness of chess every time I read those words.

The Pawns are the Soul of Chess - It gets me very time!

It has been over 200 years since he said the above words and it still remains so true!

Philidor was a true genius ahead of his time!

The line he created is still played by strong chess players and the line is still named after him.

Philidor Defense!

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The OP of the thread is doing the right thing.

It is important to find a line to play against the French Defense because it is a well respected opening. You can’t underestimate the French because it is powerful.

I was mentioning pawn structures because it relates.

‘The French Defense has very unique pawn structures and formations and depending on how Black plays. It can be a Red Flag for White!

White can take advantage for sure!