French Defense: Advance Variation, Steinitz Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
507,288 games: White 41.2% / Draw 4.0% / Black 54.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 415,162415K | ||
| 84,43584K | ||
| 2,2622,262 | ||
| 1,2061,206 | ||
| 1,0651,065 | ||
| 1,0641,064 | ||
| 899899 | ||
| 567567 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.38 Black is slightly better
Best play: 4... Nc6 5. Nd2 Bxc5 6. Nb3 Bb6 7. Nf3 Nge7 8. Bd3 f6 9. exf6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for White: White scores 44% under 1400, 51% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 405K | |
| 1400–1799 | 547K | |
| 1800–2199 | 228K | |
| 2200 and up | 23K | |
| Masters, over the board | 109 |
Master games
- Zelcic, R. – Stevic, H.
- Crouch, C. S. – Bareev, E.
- Velimirovic, D. – Kholmov, R. D.
- Crouch, C. S. – Speelman, J. S.
- Berezovsky, I. – Glek, I. V.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
French Defense: Advance Variation, Steinitz Variation (ECO C02, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Advance Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. dxc5 (4 moves).
In 507,288 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 41.2%, Black 54.8% and 4.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Bxc5, in 82% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the French Defense: Advance Variation, Steinitz Variation
4…Nc6 scores best for Black: 58.7%, with Black winning 56.8% and White 39.3% of 84K games. The most played answer, 4…Bxc5, scores lowest: 56.5% in 415K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…Nc6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The French Defense: Advance Variation, Steinitz Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.018% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.029%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.029% | 10,201 |
| 2017 | 0.025% | 13,551 |
| 2018 | 0.021% | 16,716 |
| 2019 | 0.022% | 26,832 |
| 2020 | 0.023% | 66,727 |
| 2021 | 0.021% | 81,573 |
| 2022 | 0.019% | 72,397 |
| 2023 | 0.018% | 68,364 |
| 2024 | 0.018% | 62,761 |
| 2025 | 0.018% | 60,963 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.017% | 18,910 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “French Defense: Advance Variation, Steinitz Variation (C02)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-advance-variation-steinitz-variation