why does frnch exist

whenever i face french with white im just bamboozled because in exchange u cant play for a win basically in advanced i always make mistakes and classical or tarrasch needs prep One line with 2. Nf3 works online but otb?? Pls tell me a counter

I like the b3 Bb2 line, gambiting the e pawn

#1
"in exchange u cant play for a win basically" * That is not true.
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2808088

"in advanced i always make mistakes" * That is your problem, not a problem of the French Defense.

"classical or tarrasch needs prep" * Yes, that is true.
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2811749
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2479640

"One line with 2. Nf3 works online but otb?" * No, that is no good.

#1: A) 'in exchange u cant play for a win' ~ Firstly, you can. Example: Opposite sides castling. Secondly, Exchange scores better for Black: The French players' experience outweighs White's first-move advantage (even if played by a French player, however, the Exchange is still weak: It does not gain advantage).

B) 'in advanced i always make mistakes' ~ Look at the Lichess masters' database and at Stockfish's analysis to see where you messed up.

C) 'classical or tarrasch needs prep' ~ In Chess, you get what you work for. If you do not play the best lines against an opening because you will not learn them, then you will have less success. If you do not find challenge and work enjoyable, then Chess is not the game for you.

D) 'Pls tell me a counter' ~ What do you mean, 'counter'? There is no counter to the French. If there was, then it would not be a good opening. The only, 'counter' to the French are garbage gambits and gimmicky variations that clickbait YouTubers use to attract players who seek shortcuts. The more you seek shortcuts, the more time you waste on crap. This is time that could have been spent on learning the best variation against the French: The Paulsen. Specifically, the Winawer Advance and Steinitz. Why are they the best variations? They create the most issues for Black: They cramp Black's kingside and imprison Bc8, for examples. That is your counter: Learn, study, play, and analyze the Paulsen.

This is similar to depression: There is no known cure for depression, but it can be cured through the combination of multiple things: Medication, meditation, physical and mental exercise, sun light, fresh wind, and so on. Combined, those things have the ability to form a counter.

Another good setup against the french is the kings indian attack: e4 d3 Nd2 g3 Bg2 Ngf3

#5: Not only is the King's Indian Attack not strong against the French, Black also has countless good options against it:

• 1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 Nc6 5. g3 dxe4 6. dxe4 Bc5 7. Bg2 e5 8. O-O O-O 9. c3 a5 10. Qc2 b6
• 1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 c5 5. g3 Nc6 6. Bg2 Be7 7. O-O b6 8. Re1 Bb7 9. e5 Nd7 10. Nf1 g5
• 1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 c5 5. g3 Nc6 6. Bg2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Re1 b5
• 1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 b6 5. g3 dxe4 6. dxe4 Bb7 7. Qe2 Ba6
• 1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 Nc6 5. g3 Bd6 6. Bg2 Nge7 7. O-O O-O
• 1. e4 e6 2. d3 c5 3. Nd2 Nc6 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. Ngf3 Nge7

Not only are these variations great, they also avoid White's idea of a kingside attack.

@gaurav_darsh said in #1:

white im just bamboozled because in exchange u cant play for a win

It pretty much answers your question.

To answer the title, it's because 1... e6 is a legal move after White plays 1. e4.

#4
"Exchange scores better for Black: the French players' experience outweighs White's first-move advantage"

• On the contrary: the French player's experience with white playing e5 on move 3 or 4 and the resulting closed positions with interlocked pawn chains outweighs white's first move advantage. The French players like those positions and have a lot of experience with it.

Most black French players hate the exchange variation, as it leads to open positions they are less familiar with and they like less. It becomes more like a Petrov Defense and there are transpositions between the Petrov and the French Exchange.
The exchange variation conserves the first move advantage in its purest form. The position is symmetrical, but on move 4 white is the first to develop a piece, usually Nf3.

#6
" the King's Indian Attack not strong against the French"

• Fischer thought differently and played it regularly:
  https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044267
  https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1044241