Five reasons why the French Defense is the best chess opening against 1. e4

It’s not as bad as you think.

The French Defense gets a bad rep in chess. At first glance this is understandable. Moving the pawn to e6 prevents the light-squared bishop from developing to the kingside. But is it really that bad? I’m going to offer 5 reasons why you should drop the Berlin and Najdorf and join the French Defense team.

5. No One Expects It

As mentioned before, the French gets a bad rep. Because of this, your opponent is unlikely to think that you would play it. Therefore, they spend their time studying for a more “professional” opening such as the Sicilian, wasting time and energy. It’s a secret weapon and it has even been used on the highest levels of chess.

4. Psychologically Tormenting The Opponent

If you play the French, your opponent will immediately think that they can win the game. This is because, again, of the French’s poor reputation. Imagine their disgust at themselves when they see that they can gain no advantadge. This expectation to win will often lead to their downfall, as they will push for an advantage too hard. This advantage works even better if you are lower rated than your opponent, such that they will not be satisfied with a draw.