Watson John. Play the French

4th edition. Everyman Chess, 2012. — 507 p. — ISBN: 9781857449396.Now in its fourth incarnation, Play The French is still the book that all other repertoire books wish to become.This book is amazing and complicated, and amazingly complicated. Watson steers the reader through the material with a steady hand, though without losing the "Watson touch," which is where he heads off on a tangent along a line he finds fascinating, even if the overall coverage of the main line neither requires it nor supports it. In this fashion, he covers countless minor lines that would otherwise have been ignored.These lines can then be explored further by the reader and on the appropriate occasion be used as a surprise weapon.This book is well beyond the level of most players rated below 1800, but for ambitious players, both those employing the French as black or playing 1 e4 should invest in this book without hesitation.****** (6 out of 6)
Review by Carsten Hansen