What top GMs play the French defense?

I hardly ever see Carlsen playing it. Apart from Akobian is there any other GMs that play it a lot.

Thanks.

Let me enjoy the topic too
I've never found a good way to fight against the French defense, especially the advance variation, I think I've never won a game this way.
Which move do you consider the best at move 3?

From Wikipedia: "More recently, its leading practitioners include Evgeny Bareev, Alexey Dreev, Mikhail Gurevich, Alexander Khalifman, Smbat Lputian, Alexander Morozevich, Teimour Radjabov, Nigel Short, Gata Kamsky, and Yury Shulman."

I've never seen its lack of top-level players' usage as a reason not to play it though :) Go MacCutcheon!

@josevitor91 Against the Advance, I play 3... c5 and normally get the kind of game I want looking for the usual cxd4 or going for f6. Nimzowitch played the advance a lot (Advance is actually also known as the Nimzowitsch variation) so maybe look at his games and look at what he did...

If you mean White's third move, I prefer Nc3. If they go for the Classical I try the Alekhine-Chatard gambit (e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Be7 e5 Nfd7 h4) but normally they just play c5 and dont take the bishop....

Of course, you can play normally. f4, Nf3, Bd3 and the like. After taking on e7 of course.

Or if they play the Burn variation (well, I guess that might be a variation in the Classical? So by the Classical I mean with Be7...) it may continue 4... dxe4 5. Nxe4 5 Be7 6 Bxf6 Bxf6 7. Nf3 Nd7 or 7... 0-0.

I remember Morozevich tried 5... Be7 6 Bxf6 gxf6 didn't he? Playing f5 and the like. And Bf6.

There's the Rubinstein with 3... dxe4 but I personally don't like that line. White should be better, but it is drawish.

Then you have the Winawer. Options include played a3 and expect Bxc3+ bxc3. You can enter the crazy lines with Qg4 but do so at your own peril....
Also, you cam just play e5. I remember this as the Lajos Steiner variation. Black will often then just play the 'normal' French way with moves like c5.

The MacCutcheon is my personal favourite. It follows the Classical up to Bg5 and the Black plays Bb4!? I normally like the lines with Kf8 (yes, you read that right. The king normally runs to c7 later though) as I feel black has sufficient defensive resources on the kingside and has good play on the Q-side. But not all lines allow Kf8, like e x Nf6. But still, lot of room there too.

You also have the Tarrasch with Nd2, the idea being to play c3 later. Thats fine, but I dont believe it troubles back over-much either. It's less aggressive but white hopes to consolidate a small advantage.

Just don't play the exchange....

Don't get overly aggressive if you're playing white. Black has opted for a closed game and it can be hard to blow it up, if not impossible. Maneuver, improve your position. Maybe black will be overly aggressive :)

Against the French I usually play the classical with Nc3. I think most French players know the advance variation the best so you are kind of playing into their hands playing 3. e5 as they may know more of the theory and ideas than you.

Carlsen has played it with black on occasion, but he considers the French defence inferior.

"Which move do you consider the best at move 3?"
Objectively 3 Nc3, 3 Nd2, 3 e5 are the best moves, but subjectively 3 exd5 is something French players dislike. It avoids the typical French pawn chains c3 - d4 - e5 vs. f7-e6-d5. 3 exd5 has a drawish reputation, but you can also play it to win.

i just play 3 Nd2.

I'm a French player for black, and I would say that indeed 3. e5 seems the most pleasant move for black with the most clear play, so don't move like that unless you know the theory of Advance Variation quite well. I dislike when the opponent answers 3. exd5, because I consider this the most boring variation of French, but that doesn't mean that I'm not able to play Exchange Variation well. 3. Nd2 seems a little odd to me, also would not recommend to play this without theory knowledge. Usually this either transposes to Exchange or results in a quite pleasant structure for black again, with a weird white knight on b3. As white I prefer to answer 3. Nc3. Here black has 2 principal variations: 3... Bb4 and 3... Nc6. Both often lead to quite imbalanced positions and are fun to play. After 3... Nc6 the most sharp variation is Alekhine-Chatard attack I guess (4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. h4!?). Very recommended for people who like to play flashy, messy positions with decreased importance of material and great importance of tempos.

3. Nd2 or 3. Nc3 are both fine, I play the Tarrasch (3. Nd2) as there are some nice variations there. Sure, you need to know some ideas/theory but still, learn a couple of lines and you're fine. If you're comparing it to 3. Nc3, there is more theory you need to know there.

A buddy of mine plays French with both colors, and he prefers the advance variation for white. 3. exd5 is nothing special, people don't like that with both colors as it's a pretty simplified position - not because it is an advantage or anything.

So, yeah. I would say go for 3. Nd2.

Hate French defense !

Nd2 is very flexible.