(not so) obvious
Learning chess by investigating how the scenarios emerge from the variations is a daunting task. The logical way is of course the other way around. When you know the scenario, you should be able to propose a possible variation.
In practice, you will always have to work with what a chess author provides you with. A chess author has a few reasons to withhold information from you. Usually with the best intentions:
- he doesn't want to overload you
- his publisher doesn't want the book to be too thick
- he wants to protect you from too complicated matter
- he wants to be complete so he floods you with irrelevant details to give it a scientific impression
- he makes choices for you
- he leaves out what is obvious for him
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| Black to move |
5. ... e5 The key idea, locking down the d4-square for future use and freeing our 'French Bishop' from his cell.
6.d3 Bb4+ Easy liquidation leading to a big positional edge.
7.Bd2 Bxd2+
8.Qxd2 Nh6 We are assuring that a Knight will be on d4 like a bone in the throat for the rest of the game.
9.O-O-O Bg4 The pin can't easily be ignored.
A lot of "obvious" stuff has been left out.
- 5. ... e5 The key idea, locking down the d4-square for future use and freeing our 'French Bishop' from his cell. d4 is an ideal outpost for your knight. You must get rid of the defenders of d4.
- 6.d3 Bb4+ Easy liquidation leading to a big positional edge. This way we can eliminate the black bishop, a potential defender of d4.
- 7.Bd2 Bxd2+
- 8.Qxd2 Nh6 We are assuring that a Knight will be on d4 like a bone in the throat for the rest of the game. The knight can reach d4 from h6, not from f6
- 9.O-O-O Bg4 The pin can't easily be ignored. This way we can get rid of the knight, which is another defender of d4. Our goal is to remove all pieces in order to be left with a good knight against a bad bishop endgame.
Understanding must be our goal. Leaving information out is not helping. Matters are difficult enough with all information provided. With this extra "obvious" information, you can concoct a variation yourself whenever the opponent decided to play something else.
It is not rocket science. But leaving information out might make it look that way.
The good news is, that the amount of scenarios is finite, and even rather limited. I guess that between 20 and 40 scenarios for the complete French defense would be fine. And when you play another defense next to it, like the QID on the right and the Dutch defense on the left, it is my take that you can borrow a few scenarios. After all, a bad bishop is a bad bishop. No matter the opening.
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