French Defense: Chigorin Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,046,725 games: White 52.4% / Draw 5.4% / Black 42.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 424,503425K | ||
| 210,459210K | ||
| 74,05574K | ||
| 71,84672K | ||
| 52,84853K | ||
| 48,40848K | ||
| 41,75442K | ||
| 32,06232K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 19, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.07 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... c5 3. g3 g6 4. d3 Nc6 5. Bg2 d6 6. Nf3 Bg7 7. O-O
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 48% under 1400, 55% at 2200 and up and 55% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 69K | |
| 1400–1799 | 233K | |
| 1800–2199 | 665K | |
| 2200 and up | 218K | |
| Masters, over the board | 2,130 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Xiong, J.
- Karjakin, S. – Vallejo Pons, F.
- Ivanchuk, V. – Harikrishna, P.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Morozevich, A.
- Amin, B. – Vidit, S.
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: Chigorin Variation (ECO C00, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. Qe2 (2 moves).
In 1,046,725 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.4%, Black 42.2% and 5.4% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…d5, in 41% 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: Chigorin Variation
2…Be7 scores best for Black: 48.1%, with Black winning 45.2% and White 49.1% of 74K games. The most played answer, 2…d5, scores lowest: 43.0% in 425K games. Stockfish's first choice is 2…c5.
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: Chigorin Variation peaked in 2018 at 0.054% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.041% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.043% | 15,195 |
| 2017 | 0.048% | 26,166 |
| 2018 | 0.054% | 42,447 |
| 2019 | 0.051% | 63,259 |
| 2020 | 0.047% | 137,463 |
| 2021 | 0.035% | 135,355 |
| 2022 | 0.035% | 130,118 |
| 2023 | 0.039% | 147,078 |
| 2024 | 0.04% | 143,232 |
| 2025 | 0.041% | 142,469 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.04% | 44,090 |
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: Chigorin Variation (C00)”. Lichess data as of 19 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-chigorin-variation