On being asked why most GMs and super-GMs play 1…c5 and 1…e5 to 1.e4 instead of the French Defense, Peter Svidler recently commented: “I think the answer is twofold. Firstly, both the Spanish and the Sicilian offer you a much broader scope to choose from. If you play 1…e5 you’re not …”
What did he really mean? Is the French Defense not good enough to play at the elite level?