What are the most common responses to the French Defense (for U2000 players)?

I am looking into the French Defense and was just wondering what responses are most common (so I know where to focus my study). When I play against it, I exchange the pawns and play c4--I think Kasparov might have played that too.

A. Advance Variation (3. e5)

B. Classical Variation (3 ... Nf6)

C. Tarrasch Variation (3. Nd2)

D. Winawer Variation (3 ... Bb4)

Mostly you will face the exchange or the advance variation, on the rare occasion something else.

So if you want to play the french, id suggest look on how to play those two lines + have something for the main responses as well.

From personal experience, it is pointless to look into sharp variations here, as you will never see them.

I have been seeing the Tarrasch and this sharp line that can arise via a Steinitz or two knights move order, 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd7 5. Nf3!?.

But then again I am talking about learning the opening by playing it in internet blitz games, so this may not translate to normal over the board experience.

I play exd5 to make them angry ha-ha-ha-ha and outplay them positionally XD

Under 2000 is plenty room for blunders and mistakes at completely harmless and drawish positions, if you know what you are doing and you are good at positional play specially in blitz or rapid games.

Yeah.  I like taking them out of their prep.  Most players in this range seem to only play the french vs e4.  Take them out of their preparation and crush them!  Memorizing variations in the exchange french is about as useful as an unlit candle.

French defense is the worst opening in history of chess. play the caro.

As a former French player, and one that played the French throughout my time being under 2000, the following is a rough frequency of what I typically faced most:

1) 3.Nc3 and 3.Nd2 roughly the same, about 35% of the time each.  When facing the Tarrasch, back then, I played 3...Nf6, and got main lines maybe 75% of the time, and 5.f4 the other 25%.  Korchnoi Gambit almost never happened.  When facing 3.Nc3, I split my time between Winawer, Classical, and MacCutcheon.  With the Winawer, very few knew the poisoned pawn.  I mostly faced the positional lines.  After a short while, I answered 7.Qg4 with 7...O-O instead of 7...Qc7 and almost nobody knew what they were doing then.  When I played 3.Nc3, it seemed to make a transitition over time.  1500 players would mostly play 4.Bg5 while 1800+ would mostly play the Steinitz (4.e5).

2. The other 3 I faced about equally, Advance, Exchange, and King's Indian Attack.  Roughly 1 out of every 3 games would be one of these 3 lines.  No real trend of which was played by which group of people.

As White, in the on and off times that I either played 1.e4, or answered 1.d4 e6 with 2.e4, I played the King's Indian Attack back when I was about 1400.  By 1800, I was playing the Tarrasch, and by 2000, I switched completely to about an even split between the Advance and 3.Nc3, and still to this day, those are the only two lines I'd play.

You can reach the KIA vs French against me, but only via a Sicilian Move order as I don't allow 1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.g3 (or 4.Ngf3, which is technically an error) Bc5!.  However, after the main line, 4...c5, you have 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.Ngf3 Be7 7.O-O O-O 8.Re1, which I have no issues playing either side of, you can get this position from the Sicilian as well via 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3 (The only time I play d3 is when BOTH c5 AND e6 have been played, in essence, each of them blocking the Bishops) d5 4.Nbd2 Nf6 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Be7 7.O-O O-O 8.Re1 and you have the same position as above.

About the only true conclusion you can make is that the higher the opposition gets, the less likely you'll end up with an Exchange Variation, but even at the upper level it's played.  In Round 5 of the 2014 US Open, I faced an Exchange French as Black via transposition from the Petroff.  After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d3 (5.d4 or 5.Nc3 are the main lines) Nf6 6.d4 d5 (Direct transposition to 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nf6) and I kept symmetry for a very long time, basically until White played h3 (with my Bishop on g4).  I did not play h6 so that I could contest his battery on c2-d3 with ...Bg6 (something I couldn't do if my pawn were on h6 instead of h7).

I slapped him silly.  He was about 2150.

That's all fine and good, but it can't be forced.  What you list is one of the main lines of the Closed Tarrasch.  However, Black can deviate:

3...c5!  (The Open Tarrasch!  I would play this over 3...Nf6, personally)

7...cxd4 (instead of 7...Qb6).  This is actually more flexible.  After 8.cxd4 f6 9.exf6 Nxf6 10.Nf3 Bd6 11.O-O, Black has 11...Qb6 with a direct transposition to 7...Qb6, or else 11...Qc7 (a very passive line) or 11...O-O (what some deem the "main line", if there is a main line, of the Closed Tarrasch).

i highly doubt the exchange is taking any french player out of prep....perhaps disappoints a few, but not out of prep.

To answer OP's question, Under 1600 people will mostly play advance or exchange French. You can also get an occasional Nd2 or Nc3 against a French player. Above that you will have a variety of responses except Exchange French which will be very uncommon . And your opponents will know a bit of theory. 

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 and when White plays 3. exd5

Black has a win % of 34.4% and White has a win % of 27.3% on 365chess. If that's the best reply, I feel good about it.

This variation, which looks common, gives Black a 40% chance of winning and White a 22%: 4. Nf3 Bd6 5. Bd3.

Obviously these are just %s, but those high % come from somewhere, some advantage.

That proves my point - even in this line game can be won or lost just like any other opening., becouse that statistic there is from  games mostly by under 2000 which is amateur level, if not most by 1400-1800 rated - anything can happen. I like to play pure chess ,not deep 10-16 moves memorized lines.

That does not seem "passive" to me. Game played by an attacking player with Black (variations by GM Williams):

Edit: As a matter of fact, it's one of the bloodiest lines I play on the French defense.

The Alekine-Chatard!! Guaranteed entertainment 

https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-alekhine-chatard-attack 

I always respond to the French with the Steinitz attack:

Lol just now I trapped someone's bishop using the Steinitz attack. Don't play like this guy:

Good

Most would play the advanced from my experience.

Everything you just said was wrong. French counterattacks immediately. Caro is just a slow French. You guys just like to crap on French all the time. Is it because deep down you know it's inferior? Maybe you can't beat it? Maybe because you can't smother mate the French like the Caro? And don't mentioned my weak bishop when you block in your b8 knight from developing properly.