Kosintseva plays Isolated Pawn to beat the French

Here are a couple of games that illustrate how White can opt into standard IQP structure against the French defence – this method was used effectively by Nadezhda Kosintseva to beat a couple of strong players:

Kosintseva, Nadezhda - Vysochin, Spartak
   2004 , C07

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. c3 cxd4 5. cxd4 Nc6 6. Ngf3 dxe4 7. Nxe4 Bb4+ 8. Nc3 Nf6 9. Bd3 O-O 10. O-O Be7 11. a3 b6 12. Re1 Bb7 13. Bc2 Rc8 14. Qd3 Qd6

( 14. ... g6!? 15. Bh6 Re8 16. Rad1 )

15. d5 exd5 16. Bg5 g6 17. Rxe7! Nxe7 18. Nb5 Qe6 19. Nfd4 Qe5 20. f4

20. ... Qe4 21. Bxf6 Qxd3 22. Bxd3 Nc6 23. Nxc6 Rxc6 24. Bd4 a6 25. Nc3 Re6 26. Na4 Rfe8 27. Kf2 Bc6 28. Nxb6 Bb5 29. Bxb5 axb5 30. Nxd5 Re2+ 31. Kf3 R8e6 32. Rc1 f6 33. Rc8+ Kf7 34. Rc7+ Kf8 35. Nxf6 Rd2 36. Be5 h6 37. h4 Rd8 38. h5 gxh5 39. Ke4 b4 40. axb4 Rb6 41. Kf5 Rd2 42. g3 Rxb4 43. Kg6 1-0

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Kosintseva, Nadezhda - Xu Yuhua
   2009 , C07

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Ngf3 dxe4 6. Nxe4 cxd4 7. cxd4 Bb4+ 8. Nc3 Nf6 9. Bd3 h6 10. O-O O-O 11. a3 Be7 12. Bc2 Re8 13. Bf4 a6 14. Qd3 Bf8 15. Rad1 Ne7 16. Ne5 Bd7 17. Rfe1 Bc6 18. Qh3

18. ... Bd5 19. Re3 Qb6 20. b4 Rec8

21. Rg3

Kingside threats are now impossible to defend against without material losses.

21. ... Rxc3

( 21. ... Kh8 22. Nxf7+ )

22. Rxc3 Nc6 23. Bxh6 Nxd4 24. Be3 Ne2+ 25. Kf1 Qd6 26. Ng4 Ne4 27. Bxe4 1-0