Nowadays the French Defence is one of the most popular opening schemes in response to 1.e4. I'd like to suggest a new concept of combating it. White plays 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 and then he deploys his pieces according to the scheme Ngf3, Bd3, c3, 0-0, against almost anything that Black may play. This will usually lead to exchanges in the centre and the appearance of an isolated queen's pawn for White.

Content:
008 Preface

Part 1. The Rubinstein Variation: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4

014 1) Various; 4...Nf6

039 2) 4...Bd7

065 3) 4...Nd7

Part 2. All Other Black Replies: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2

117 4) 3...g6; 3...b6; 3...Ne7

151 5) 3...Nc6

183 6) 3...Be7

202 7) 3...h6; 3...a6

221 8) 3...c5

233 9) 3...Nf6

Part 3. The Isolated Queen's Pawn

256 i1) 3... Nf6 4.Bd3 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Ngf3 cxd4 7.cxd4 dxe4 8.Nxe4 Be7 9.0-0 0-0

285 i2) 3... Nf6 4.Bd3 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Ngf3 cxd4 7.cxd4 dxe4 8.Nxe4 Bb4+ 9.Nc3 0-0 10.0-0 b6 11.a3 Be7 12.Re1 Bb7 13.Bc2

310 3) 3... c5 4.c3 cxd4 5.cxd4 dxe4 6.Nxe4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.Bd3 0-0 9.Nf3 b6 10.0-0 Bb7 11.Re1

336 i4) 3...a6 4.Ngf3 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Bd3 cxd4 7.cxd4 dxe4 8.Nxe4 Bb4+ 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.0-0 0-0 11.a3 Be7

358 i5) 3...a6 4.Ngf3 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Bd3 cxd4 7.cxd4 dxe4 8.Nxe4 Be7 9.0-0 Nf6

367 i6) 3...a6 4.Ngf3 c5 5.c3 cxd4 6.cxd4 dxe4 7.Nxe4 Nd7 8.Bd3 Ngf6 9.0-0 Be7

372 i7) 3...c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Ngf3 cxd4 6.cxd4 dxe4 7.Nxe4 Bb4+ 9.Nc3 Nge7 10.Bd3 Nd5