Mikhail Tal about the French Exchange

...after the moves 1) e4 e6 2) d4 d5, I captured on d5. I was terribly ashamed, and from the time I swore: to play for a draw, at any rate with White, is to some degree a crime against chess. (The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, p.28)

given his score with French against Korchnoi (-2, except for the blitz), it was probably a wise choice.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?yearcomp=exactly&year=&playercomp=white&pid=14380&player=&pid2=15866&player2=&movescomp=exactly&moves=&opening=C00-C19&eco=&result=

Tal was probably referring to a 1955 game against Korchnoi in which Korchnoi played the French and Tal played the Exchange. It was not an easy draw, but a wild slug fest. It did end up in a draw, but only after some fantastic fireworks.

By the way, Korchnoi had a great lifetime score against Tal: 13 wins, 4 losses, and 27 draws.

The starting position can also be called equal and yet we do not assume that because it is equal the white player will play for a draw.

In the Chessmaster program we know that MI Josua Waitzkin has already beaten a GMI with white in this openning. From memory it seems to me that Gary Kasparov also beat a GMI with white in this opening.

AIs can also eliminate this cliché ("it's called equal position so it's a draw") because they don't necessarily play this opening to draw (with withe or black).

Isn't it a bit insulting to chess to suggest that one shouldn't play as they feel is best but should have some sort of character in how they play? The point of chess is to try to score as much as possible, whether that be a half point (draw) or a full one (win), so the imperative should always be to try to play the way you feel will give you the best score. 

It's sort of like how in football some teams play defensive and get far doing so, but you have lots of people complaining about how it's not "entertaining" enough for them. Well, if you want entertaining go to the WWE. If players play entertaining just for the crowd and have worse results because of it, that's turning it into an entertainment thing, and is not the real game.  

Chess being a war game. The point is to get the best out of the position. If a win is possible play for one. If only a draw can be forced play the drawing line that has chances for the other person to blunder.

The monte carlo variation of the French is my favorite. Never liked the advance or the Nc3 or Nd2 stuff, always preferred the exchange.