Answers.Body: <p>You've pretty much answered your own question. Black can go 3...Nf6 and go for the mainline, but White is managing to avoid some other lines like the Winaver.</p>
  <p>Anyway your question could be reversed just as well: why play the main move order whne you could go for the Two Knights French all the time instead?</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2021-04-11T03:02:04.597Z
Answers.Text: The second paragraph gets at the real point: you play the standard move order because you want to play 5. f4 which you can’t do in the two knights.  If you want to play 5. Nf3 anyway then you’re better off in the two knights move order.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Noah Snyder
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Answers.CreationDate: 2021-04-08T13:35:46.227Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-04-08T13:35:46.227Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: David
Body: <p>According to lichess, if Black simply goes 3...Nf6 against the Two Knights Variation, then the main line is 4.e5 Nfd7 5.d4. This is the exact same position as White would have reached if they'd played 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Nf3. Why play the Two Knights at all then if Black can just transpose into territory they're more familiar with? Is it just to avoid the Winawer?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2021-04-08T03:42:27.500Z
Comments.Text: "Why play the Two Knights at all then if Black can just transpose into territory they're more familiar with? Is it just to avoid the Winawer?" -- what if Black is more familiar with the Winawer?
Comments.UserDisplayName: John Coleman
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Comments.CreationDate: 2021-04-09T04:45:20.300Z
Comments.Text: I don't agree with the close votes on this question. What does Two Knights French avoid and what does it allow? It seems very specific to me.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Akavall
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2021-04-10T07:14:24.867Z
Comments.Text: What's the point of the Mainline French with 2.d4, since it can just transpose into the Two Knights French? Is it just to avoid the line where Black plays 3...d4?
Comments.UserDisplayName: bof
Tags: <opening><french-defense>
Title: What's the point of the Two Knights French?
ThreadText: # What's the point of the Two Knights French?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2021-04-08)
  
  According to lichess, if Black simply goes 3...Nf6 against the Two Knights Variation, then the main line is 4.e5 Nfd7 5.d4. This is the exact same position as White would have reached if they'd played 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Nf3. Why play the Two Knights at all then if Black can just transpose into territory they're more familiar with? Is it just to avoid the Winawer?
  
  **Tags:** opening, french-defense
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: "Why play the Two Knights at all then if Black can just transpose into territory they're more familiar with? Is it just to avoid the Winawer?" -- what if Black is more familiar with the Winawer?  
  > **username_2**: I don't agree with the close votes on this question. What does Two Knights French avoid and what does it allow? It seems very specific to me.  
  > **username_3**: What's the point of the Mainline French with 2.d4, since it can just transpose into the Two Knights French? Is it just to avoid the line where Black plays 3...d4?  
  
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  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2021-04-08. Score: 3
  
  You've pretty much answered your own question. Black can go 3...Nf6 and go for the mainline, but White is managing to avoid some other lines like the Winaver.
  
  Anyway your question could be reversed just as well: why play the main move order whne you could go for the Two Knights French all the time instead?
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_5**: The second paragraph gets at the real point: you play the standard move order because you want to play 5. f4 which you can’t do in the two knights.  If you want to play 5. Nf3 anyway then you’re better off in the two knights move order.  
  
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