Product Description

After the immense success of the first two editions, the chess world has been anticipating the next instalment with baited breath... and now the wait is over! Once again this is a fully revised edition of John Watson's classic Play the French, providing Black with a complete repertoire in the French Defence, one of the most strategically and dynamically complex opening systems. As is typical with his books, Watson often arms the reader with not one, but a choice of two and sometimes three lines against every main variation. Watson also presents a thorough grounding on the positional and tactical aspects of the opening and outlines the typical plans for both White and Black. This is particularly welcome for those newcomers wishing to add the French Defence to their openings armoury. Last, but not least, hardened French Defence devotees will find plenty of original analysis and suggestions to sink their teeth into.
The previous editions of Play the French were amongst the most powerful opening books of the 1980s and 90s, and this only added to the large number of French Defence advocates at every level of chess. Now Watson has updated his analysis for French Defence players of the new millennium.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #440402 in Books
• Published on: 2003-11-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Customer Reviews

A great book!
If you already have Watson's second edition of this book then you know that this new edition is a must-buy. He follows the same pattern of providing at least two reasonable Black options for each major White system, and in some cases as many as four. Some the suggestions have changed radically since the last edition, especially in that the ...Nf6 Tarrasch is no longer covered (Watson considers it too forcing) and the ...Be7 system appears in its stead.

Watson's love of the French greatly adds to the readability of the book, but it does mean that his assessments can be a bit optimistic. Then again, this is a book for the French defender, who will probably have a similar view of this opening anyway.

Not a book for beginners, but will be welcomed by anyone who's read the previous edition, or players who are switching to this robust defence and are seeking a repertoire text.

The Best Book on the French Available
It's a pity that John Watson is not as prolific as some of the other chess writers. He is one of the best out there today. The prior edition of this book (1984) was the francophile's bible for many years and made life miserable for many of us 1. e4 players. I, for one, had to buy that damned book just to see what I'd be facing over-the-board. Only the passage of time and the advancement of theory has put that book to rest. Not to worry, though, Frenchies -- Watson has come up with a whole new arsenal with which to annoy the 1. e4 crowd. I especially like the fact that this effort is more balanced than the last one. There are ideas for White here, too. Had I come across this book earlier, I would certainly have won a key postal game where Black (who obviously didn't have the book either) played down an inferior line and should've fallen under a vicious sacrificial attack. Unfortunately, I followed the line suggested in the now ancient BCO2 and MCO13 and ended up with nothing to show for my first-move advantage. If you play the French or play against it, buy this book. No, buy lots of IM Watson's books so that he will be encouraged to write more and we will not have to suffer the efforts of others who do not write nearly as well.

A labour of love in progress by a dedicated French Defence player.
Mr Watson aims to go off the beaten track that you can get from any general opening theory book and gives coverage of new lines and ideas behind them. The games given usually illustrate which variants are bad and good for black and how to steer into the favourable positions. Of course this has strong bias for the Black player!

What cannot be denied is that the research is extensive, citing many French Defence games played French experts backed up by some computer analysis but never feeling as if you are bogged down by concrete variations as some opening books (ie John Nunn's King Indian series). There is a quick summary of good lines for black at the end.

A testament of how mainstream his ideas have become amongst French players at all levels include how opening ideas cited from previous editions (1 and 2) are now the norm.

If you are looking for another of his books with quirkier ideas his Dangerous Weapons in the French is more balanced with ideas for Black and White but guess what? The last word in the book is Black's!