I like the Psahkis 3. Nc3 and all four Watsons - he gives different lines in different editions.

The Maximovic/Antic is an awesome book on the French.

Uhlmann's book has quite a few well-annotated Winawers. The two old Batsfords are good for historical perspective - French Winawer Mainline and French Winawer Modern and Auxiliary Lines. I am not as impressed with the Berg books as are some (they get great reviews).

I like the sound of Moskolenko's Winawer book. I can't think of anyone better than Psakhis on the other main lines.

I don't have mine shelved but perhaps the TOCs here will show the line in question? -

In the Tarrasch - have you seen Nepo's 3. ..a5!? as here -

I Koper vs I Nepomniachtchi, 2011

Black seems to come out with a good version of the old Leningrad variation.

Wonderful Winawer according to Moskalenko.

The player has to learn how to play
with the main pawn structures.

The book predecessor:

<Viktor Moskalenko: The Flexible French: Strategic Explanations and Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Players (New in Chess, 2008)>

The purpose is to "offer a combative repertoire to black players, and also to offer white players some sharp ideas".

Viktor Kortchnoi:"But what is meant by 'flexible'? Here there are several possible explanations. We know that there are groups of openings: so-called open, semi-open and closed games. Sometimes, at the player's wish, it is possible to transform a position from a semi-open to an open character. Is this how we should understand the phrase 'flexible French'? Or another explanation: every opening has its own special structure. But the analyst will point out: 'The French was played but on the board we have a Sicilian structure'. This is also an interesting characteristic of this opening that might explain the title."

The format used for each of variations is as follows: historic origin (which includes main ideas, resources, advice, analysis of the most interesting lines through model games), illustrative games, statistics, summaries, and conclusions.

Part Four ("Behind the Barricades") covers two Black Winawer sidelines:

1) Moskalenko's System in the Winawer 4...b6

click for larger view

This is a typical Black's plan based on trying to exchange the light-squared bishops by ...Ba6, thereby reducing White's initiative, or else playing in Petrosian's fianchetto style with ...Bb7/...Nc6/...Qd7 followed by queenside castling. In both cases the position remains very closed.

2) "Black Queen Blues" 6...Qa5 followed by ...Qa4

click for larger view

According to Moskalenko, after 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3 6.bxc3, the Black Queen maneuver 6...Qa5/7...Qa4 offers a game full of creativity, with positions rich in resources and difficult to understand because of their complexity.

As <Domdaniel> would point out, chess books about openings teach us openings, the French Defence teach us chess!

Look inside the book:

<Viktor Moskalenko: The Wonderful Winawer: Strategic Ideas and Surprise Weapons for Dynamic Chess Players (New in Chess, 2010)>

This book covers the entire spectrum of the Winawer , but of course Moskalenko has his own preferences.

"Moskalenko does not strike me as a particularly dry, classical author. His tales about the magic of the French Defence, his joyous commentaries on the dance of the black queen, his attempts to present somewhat dubious sidelines as perfectly sound means of avoiding the main lines, all point to his love of the fantastic, both at the board and away from it. Consequently, I am more interested in reading his account of new attempts to play the opening than in reading about main lines established for up to 200 years. And familiarizing oneself with Moskalenko's new ideas can only have a beneficial effect on the play of any reader. In this approach I can see many connections betwwen this second book and the earlier, 'flexible' volume, which proves that the two are in spirit actually one publication." (From Viktor Kortchnoi's foreward)

'Barricades always have two sides'. White can test almost all lines offered in this book, but on the other side, according to Moskalenko, almost all Black's counter-ideas are playable and sound.

Look inside the book:

I can scratch 'Buy Tony's Killer Sicilian' off my bucket list.;)

♫ But you did, but you did. ♪
And I thank you.♫ ♪

You might want to head to Bora Bora for a few years...

Larsen played a Semi-Slav -- ...c6, ...d5, ...e6, followed by ...a5. But a French is just as good.

I popped through Ryan's French defences on chesslab.com real quick. I found two games where he pushed both rook pawns - against Tviakov (1999) and Geenen (1997). I'll go back when more time.

Thanks for pointing out Ryan - no idea of him and obviously plays the French in a very interesting manner. Great stuff for the French student! I wonder if <Shams> knows of his games?