Grandmaster Repertoire 15 - The French Defence Volume Two by Emanuel Berg

The French Defence is one of the most popular and reliable responses to 1.e4. Grandmaster Repertoire 15 – The French Defence 2 covers the most critical variation of the Winawer, which occurs after the opening moves 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3† 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4.

This volume presents three contrasting ways of meeting White’s aggressive opening system: 7...cxd4 leading to the notorious Winawer Poisoned Pawn; 7...0–0 8.Bd3 f5, a solid yet strategically complex system; and 7...0–0 8.Bd3 Nbc6, which leads to a tense, full-blooded battle.

This is the second of three volumes which will provide a complete repertoire as Black in the French Defence. Volume One of the series covers White's other options in the Winawer Variation. Volume Three will deal with the Tarrasch, Advance and all of White’s other options.

Emanuel Berg is a grandmaster with a peak rating of 2627. Twice Swedish Champion, he is known both for his aggressive playing style and for his thorough opening preparation. He is a lifelong devotee of the French Defence, having played it successfully for more than two decades.