GM Akobian's "French Connections" - Episode 1

The Holiday season is always a favorite time of the year to watch The French Connection, and here on ICC Chess.FM, we have our own version of the cult classic with a new series of GM Varuzhan "Popeye" Akobian videos based on his own ideas and repertoire as a lifelong maven of the French Defense!

Category:

Education

Tags:

• ICC
• Internet Chess Club
• lecture
• video
• Var
• Akobian
• French
• defense
• advanced
• learn
• chess

[klevdav]

I like this dudes voice. I'm not gay.

[chesscentral135]

Akopian is not trying to teach anyone the French. If someone could learn the French in a single lecture, everyone could play the French like him. It takes years of experience to get good in any chess opening, and certain ideas can only be gleaned from play. He provides a good starting point and gives the watcher the main ideas of the opening.

[SuperPeristilo]

This is a great video! I learned so much! thx!

[SawaMilan]

nice video, but what about other variations which white may choose..?

[Zakdayak]

THANKS FOR POSTING THIS!!

[2tame4fame]

Conclusion = Don't play 3.e5

[BiggyJiggi]

Futhermore he doesn't mention 9...h6 at 23:39...9...h6 is a good alternative...Whatever, Mr Sweschnikow, the big expert in the advanced variation (3.e5) analysed all these lines in his books. In his opinion black couldn't fully equalize after 6.a3 c4...But what does that mean?

I don't know! :-) I'm just a club player playing the french defense...

[BiggyJiggi]

He's a cool guy but he couldn't mention all important lines in 30 minutes. For example, he doesn't mention the move 11.b4 instead of 11.b3 at 20:28 (played for instance in Benjamin-Barejew, München 1994) or he just mentioned 10.Ne1 and not 10.Rb1 (Saizew) or 10.Re1 at 24:25...

[gkatch22]

He says, "Simply..." way too many times. For intermediate players like me, nothing is simple; it may be simple for a GM.

[D4rckF0x]

The GM Akobian was in MTV programs?