Chess openings / French Defense
French Defense: Knight Variation
French Defense: Knight Variation (C00) starts 1.e4 e6 2.Nf3. In 5,600 games between strong players, White wins 47%, 11% are drawn and Black wins 42%; the most played move is 2…d5 (92%).
1.e4 e6 2.Nf3
- ECO
- C00
- Games between strong players
- 5,600
- To move
- Black
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…d5 | 92% (5,148) | – | |
| 2…c5 | 5% (250) | Sicilian Defense: French Variation | |
| 2…b6 | 1% (69) | – | |
| 2…d6 | 1% (48) | – | |
| 2…a6 | 1% (34) | – |
Where it comes from and where it goes
Branches from French Defense 1.e4 e6
- French Defense: Two Knights Variation 2,635 games
- French Defense: Wing Gambit 879 games
More French Defense lines
- 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
Played the French Defense lately?
Enter your Chess.com or Lichess username: every move of your game labelled from Brilliant to Blunder, and where you left theory. Free, no account.