French Defense
French Defense (C00) starts 1.e4 e6. In 99,820 games between strong players, White wins 46%, 14% are drawn and Black wins 40%; the most played move is 2.d4 (81%).
1.e4 e6
- ECO
- C00
- Games between strong players
- 99,820
- To move
- White
White wins, draws and Black wins, from this position.
What strong players play next
The moves played most from this position in over-the-board broadcasts and the Lichess Elite Database, how often, and how the games ended.
| Move | Played | Results | Leads to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.d4 | 81% (80,474) | French Defense: Normal Variation | |
| 2.d3 | 5% (5,353) | French Defense: King's Indian Attack | |
| 2.Nf3 | 5% (5,184) | French Defense: Knight Variation | |
| 2.Nc3 | 4% (3,649) | French Defense: Queen's Knight | |
| 2.Qe2 | 2% (1,972) | French Defense: Chigorin Variation | |
| 2.b3 | 1% (1,372) | French Defense: Horwitz Attack |
Where it comes from and where it goes
Branches from King's Pawn Game 1.e4
- French Defense: Normal Variation 83,531 games
- French Defense: Knight Variation 5,600 games
- French Defense: King's Indian Attack 5,400 games
- French Defense: Queen's Knight 3,753 games
- French Defense: Chigorin Variation 1,972 games
- French Defense: Horwitz Attack 1,376 games
- French Defense: Steiner Variation 982 games
- French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation 456 games
- French Defense: Steinitz Attack 110 games
- French Defense: Bird Invitation 106 games
Top players' games in the French Defense, reviewed
- nihalsarin vs Philippians46Chess.com blitz, 25 October 20261-0Accuracy 91.4 and 85.121.Bxg7
- V Pranav vs Anish Giri41st European Chess Club Cup 2026, Open, round 4, 20 October 20261-0Accuracy 89.7 and 82.220…Bb8
- LeonLivaic2000 vs MagnusCarlsenChess.com blitz, 17 October 20260-1Accuracy 78.7 and 87.822…Ncxd4
Every French Defense line
- French Defense: Normal Variation 83,531 games
- French Defense: Paulsen Variation 37,893 games
- French Defense: Classical Variation 20,772 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation 17,534 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation 16,826 games
- French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation 12,957 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Paulsen Attack 12,083 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation 11,959 games
- French Defense: Steinitz Variation 10,175 games
- French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Boleslavsky Variation 8,299 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation 8,033 games
- French Defense: Exchange Variation 7,826 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System 7,278 games
- French Defense: Knight Variation 5,600 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Euwe Variation 5,473 games
- French Defense: King's Indian Attack 5,400 games
- French Defense: Rubinstein Variation 4,002 games
- French Defense: Classical Variation, Burn Variation 3,758 games
- French Defense: Queen's Knight 3,753 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Closed Variation 3,501 games
- French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense 3,461 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line 3,127 games
- French Defense: Two Knights Variation 2,635 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Chistyakov Defense 2,550 games
- French Defense: St. George Defense 2,197 games
- French Defense: Schlechter Variation 2,112 games
- French Defense: Chigorin Variation 1,972 games
- French Defense: Classical Variation, Normal Variation 1,932 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Main Line 1,859 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit 1,806 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine-Maróczy Gambit 1,746 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Guimard Defense 1,711 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Morozevich Variation 1,485 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Guimard Defense, Main Line 1,467 games
- French Defense: Classical Variation, Shirov-Anand Variation 1,439 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Wade Variation 1,377 games
- French Defense: Horwitz Attack 1,376 games
- French Defense: Franco-Sicilian Defense 1,336 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation 1,306 games
- French Defense: McCutcheon Variation 1,288 games
- French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Fort Knox Variation 1,263 games
- French Defense: Horwitz Attack, Papa-Ticulat Gambit 1,219 games
- French Defense: Classical Variation, Burn Variation, Morozevich Line 1,203 games
- French Defense: Exchange Variation, Monte Carlo Variation 1,099 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Hector Variation 1,093 games
- French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Advance Variation 1,081 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Closed Variation, Main Line 1,040 games
- French Defense: Steiner Variation 982 games
- French Defense: Hecht-Reefschläger Variation 934 games
- French Defense: Wing Gambit 879 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Modern System 863 games
- French Defense: Alekhine-Chatard Attack 856 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Bogoljubow Variation 845 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Main Line 840 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Portisch-Hook Variation 781 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation 747 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Pawn Center Variation 655 games
- French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation 634 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, with h4 612 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Nimzowitsch System 605 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Main Line 596 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Retreat Variation 594 games
- French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation 534 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted 531 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation, Main Line 521 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Extended Bishop Swap 458 games
- French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation 456 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Lputian Variation 446 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit, Kan Variation 428 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Nimzowitsch Attack 418 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Warsaw Variation 370 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Classical Variation 365 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Retreat Variation, Armenian Line 365 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Petrosian Variation 313 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation 313 games
- French Defense: Classical Variation, Burn Variation, Main Line 281 games
- French Defense: Exchange Variation, Svenonius Variation 254 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, Smyslov Variation 244 games
- French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation 233 games
- French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Kasparov Attack 227 games
- French Defense: Alekhine-Chatard Attack, Spielmann Variation 222 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Süchting Line 220 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Chistyakov Defense, Modern Line 194 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation Declined 194 games
- French Defense: Marshall Gambit 190 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Nimzowitsch Gambit 183 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Eliskases Variation 171 games
- French Defense: St. George Defense, Three Pawn Attack 166 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Kupreichik Variation 155 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Fingerslip Variation 152 games
- French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Dr. Olland Variation 148 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Eingorn Variation 145 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Botvinnik Variation 141 games
- French Defense: Alekhine-Chatard Attack, Albin-Chatard Gambit 138 games
- French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Wolf Gambit 135 games
- French Defense: Alekhine-Chatard Attack, Maróczy Variation 134 games
- French Defense: Classical Variation, Richter Attack 134 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Ruisdonk Gambit 124 games
- French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Maric Variation 120 games
- French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation 114 games
- French Defense: Steinitz Attack 110 games
- French Defense: Bird Invitation 106 games
- French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation 100 games
- French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Gledhill Attack 96 games
- French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Janowski Variation 91 games
- French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Capablanca Line 91 games
- French Defense: Mediterranean Defense 90 games
- French Defense: Orthoschnapp Gambit 85 games
- French Defense: Pelikan Variation 77 games
- French Defense: Classical Variation, Pollock Variation 73 games
- French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Exchange Variation 72 games
- French Defense: Alekhine-Chatard Attack, Breyer Variation 71 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, Moscow Variation 66 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Steinitz Variation 63 games
- French Defense: Classical Variation, Tartakower Variation 62 games
- French Defense: St. George Defense, Traditional Line 62 games
- French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Bernstein Variation 59 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Exchange Variation, Canal Attack 59 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Haberditz Variation 57 games
- French Defense: Classical Variation, Vistaneckis Variation 56 games
- French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit 51 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Sørensen Variation 50 games
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