Manche Openings
Manache Openings
Any French opening that sends the fleet into the English Channel is known as a Menache Opening or English Attack. These openings account for about one quarter of all French openings. There are a number of named variants:
It is commonly acknowledged that England is the trickiest power to eliminate, courtesy of its island position and inevitable emphasis on building fleets. Consequently, some players believe that France must contain its northern neighbour early in the game, and at all costs prevent England putting a fleet into the Channel. F Bre-ENG may therefore be intended to stand off F Lon-ENG rather than to actually threaten the English home centers. Alternatively, this can be a bid by France to take Belgium, perhaps coupled with the move A Par-Bur or A Par-Pic, in which case the name may be a misnomer. This is not the most popular opening for the French fleet: it is unlikely to result in a centre gain for France (unlike the Atlantic Opening's F Bre-MAO), and compromises an assault on England by most likely pinning down the Fleet in Brest, where the French player would rather be building a second fleet.
