Answers.Body: <p>Stockfish offers the variation below.  The Knight goes to the rim so it can be repositioned to <code>c4</code>.</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN ""]
      1. e4 e6 2. d3 Nc6 3. d4 a6 4. Be2 d5 5. e5 Nge7 6. c3 Ng6 7. g3 b5 8. Bd2 b4 
      (8... Na5 9.h4 c5 10.Nf3 cxd4 11.cxd4 Nc4)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>with an equal game.  Look how nicely the Black Knight is perched on c4.</p>
  
  <p>Stockfish doesn't think <code>8... b4</code> is a particularly bad move, by the way.</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN ""]
      1. e4 e6 2. d3 Nc6 3. d4 a6 4. Be2 d5 5. e5 Nge7 6. c3 Ng6 7. g3 b5 8. Bd2 b4 
      9.f4 bxc3 10.Nxc3 Rb8 11.Nf3 Nge7 12.Bd3 Rxb2 13.Na4 Rb8 14.O-O Bd7
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>again, with a roughly equal game.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-07-17T03:21:55.757Z
Answers.Text: ok.. thanks anyway.. it means taking `9. a3 bxa3` in my game is a bad move.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ahmad Azwar Anas
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-07-17T03:30:09.870Z
Answers.Text: it should be take `9. a3 bxc3` instead. ^^
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ahmad Azwar Anas
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-07-17T03:42:22.770Z
Answers.Text: Yes, stockfish liked `9... bxc3` much more.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-07-17T03:16:43.287Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-07-17T03:16:43.287Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Answers.Body: <p>I'm answering without an engine to back me up, but I do have some knowledge of French positions and can answer on that account:</p>
  
  <p>The move b5-b4 is not necessarily a bad move.  What Black always should worry about in the French is placing all his pawns on white squares and then exchanging his dark squared bishop.  It is a common theme in the Winawer variation of the French.  </p>
  
  <p>Here it is Bxa3 which is the most strategically dubious move.  In the French, do not exchange this bishop unless you get something for it. Look at your remaining bishop, all closed in by the pawns.  Your bishop at f8 was stronger than the white knight at a3.</p>
  
  <p>Besides, the move bxa3 is not so strong either. It opens the a-file for Ra1 and the principle for pawn exchanges is to capture towards the center, not away for it. That put aside, Bxa3 is strategically much worse as you give up the fight on the dark squares and your bishop pair for a knight in the rim.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-07-17T06:26:40.847Z
Answers.Text: yeah, you're right. The battle at development phase is just bad idea.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ahmad Azwar Anas
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-07-17T06:18:14.043Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-07-17T06:18:14.043Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Halvard
Body: <p>When played <strong>C00 French:KIA 2. d3 d5</strong>, I choose to move my pawn <code>8. ... b4</code> to reply <code>8. Bd2</code>. </p>
  
  <p>After that, '<em>the battle at early game is held</em>' with <code>9. a3 bxa3 10. Nxa3 Bxa3 11. Rxa3</code> and at the end of game, I forced to resign in game.. </p>
  
  <p>I feel that <code>8. ... b4</code> is my first bad move because it enabled 'battle' at developing phase when I actually not ready for that. What should the right move to reply <code>8. Bd2</code> in this case??</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN ""]
  1. e4 e6 2. d3 Nc6 3. d4 a6 4. Be2 d5 5. e5 Nge7 6. c3 Ng6 7. g3 b5 8. Bd2 b4
  (8... b4 9. a3 bxa3 10. Nxa3 Bxa3 11. Rxa3 )
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Best Regard, <br>
  Ahmad</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2013-07-16T11:40:32.227Z
Comments.Text: White's tempo-wasting `2. d3` followed by `3. d4` makes this game appear in no databases.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2013-07-16T12:01:12.600Z
Comments.Text: you are right, but it actually transpose from French to French:KIA
Comments.UserDisplayName: Ahmad Azwar Anas
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2013-07-16T12:07:25.603Z
Comments.Text: I don't have a chess engine loaded currently.  If I have time, I'll run the game through one and see what it expects to happen after `9. a3`.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Tony Ennis
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2013-07-16T12:18:38.493Z
Comments.Text: chess engine would not helpful yet since the position that I asked still in early game.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Ahmad Azwar Anas
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2013-07-16T22:19:44.637Z
Comments.Text: I am not sure that `2.d3 3.d4`, is time wasting. After `2.d3` black plays `2...Nc6` probably planning `...e5`, if black can get that they should have a good game. `3.d4` is probably the best way to prevent that. Moreover, black knight is misplaced on `c6`, since it is impeding the typical `c7-c5` break. I still feel that white has the edge after `3.d4`, I don't have access to an engine right now, is there a refutation?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Akavall
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2013-07-17T09:22:17.323Z
Comments.Text: The game actually transposes to the `1.Nc3` opening with opposite colors. Then `3...Qh4 !?` is an interesting idea, attacking white's central pawns.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Dag Oskar Madsen
Tags: <analysis><strategy><french-defense>
Title: playing C00 French:KIA `2. d3 d5`
ThreadText: # playing C00 French:KIA `2. d3 d5`
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2013-07-16)
  
  When played C00 French:KIA 2. d3 d5, I choose to move my pawn 8. ... b4 to reply 8. Bd2. 
  After that, 'the battle at early game is held' with 9. a3 bxa3 10. Nxa3 Bxa3 11. Rxa3 and at the end of game, I forced to resign in game.. 
  I feel that 8. ... b4 is my first bad move because it enabled 'battle' at developing phase when I actually not ready for that. What should the right move to reply 8. Bd2 in this case??
  [FEN ""]
  1. e4 e6 2. d3 Nc6 3. d4 a6 4. Be2 d5 5. e5 Nge7 6. c3 Ng6 7. g3 b5 8. Bd2 b4
  (8... b4 9. a3 bxa3 10. Nxa3 Bxa3 11. Rxa3 )
  
  Best Regard, 
  Ahmad
  
  **Tags:** analysis, strategy, french-defense
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: White's tempo-wasting `2. d3` followed by `3. d4` makes this game appear in no databases.  
  > **username_0**: you are right, but it actually transpose from French to French:KIA  
  > **username_1**: I don't have a chess engine loaded currently.  If I have time, I'll run the game through one and see what it expects to happen after `9. a3`.  
  > **username_0**: chess engine would not helpful yet since the position that I asked still in early game.  
  > **username_2**: I am not sure that `2.d3 3.d4`, is time wasting. After `2.d3` black plays `2...Nc6` probably planning `...e5`, if black can get that they should have a good game. `3.d4` is probably the best way to prevent that. Moreover, black knight is misplaced on `c6`, since it is impeding the typical `c7-c5` break. I still feel that white has the edge after `3.d4`, I don't have access to an engine right now, is there a refutation?  
  > **username_3**: The game actually transposes to the `1.Nc3` opening with opposite colors. Then `3...Qh4 !?` is an interesting idea, attacking white's central pawns.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2013-07-17. Score: 3 | Accepted answer
  
  Stockfish offers the variation below.  The Knight goes to the rim so it can be repositioned to c4.
  [FEN ""]
      1. e4 e6 2. d3 Nc6 3. d4 a6 4. Be2 d5 5. e5 Nge7 6. c3 Ng6 7. g3 b5 8. Bd2 b4 
      (8... Na5 9.h4 c5 10.Nf3 cxd4 11.cxd4 Nc4)
  
  with an equal game.  Look how nicely the Black Knight is perched on c4.
  Stockfish doesn't think 8... b4 is a particularly bad move, by the way.
  [FEN ""]
      1. e4 e6 2. d3 Nc6 3. d4 a6 4. Be2 d5 5. e5 Nge7 6. c3 Ng6 7. g3 b5 8. Bd2 b4 
      9.f4 bxc3 10.Nxc3 Rb8 11.Nf3 Nge7 12.Bd3 Rxb2 13.Na4 Rb8 14.O-O Bd7
  
  again, with a roughly equal game.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: ok.. thanks anyway.. it means taking `9. a3 bxa3` in my game is a bad move.  
  > **username_0**: it should be take `9. a3 bxc3` instead. ^^  
  > **username_1**: Yes, stockfish liked `9... bxc3` much more.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2013-07-17. Score: 4
  
  I'm answering without an engine to back me up, but I do have some knowledge of French positions and can answer on that account:
  
  The move b5-b4 is not necessarily a bad move. What Black always should worry about in the French is placing all his pawns on white squares and then exchanging his dark squared bishop. It is a common theme in the Winawer variation of the French.
  
  Here it is Bxa3 which is the most strategically dubious move. In the French, do not exchange this bishop unless you get something for it. Look at your remaining bishop, all closed in by the pawns. Your bishop at f8 was stronger than the white knight at a3.
  
  Besides, the move bxa3 is not so strong either. It opens the a-file for Ra1 and the principle for pawn exchanges is to capture towards the center, not away for it. That put aside, Bxa3 is strategically much worse as you give up the fight on the dark squares and your bishop pair for a knight in the rim.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: yeah, you're right. The battle at development phase is just bad idea.  
  
  ---
  
  