French Defense: Classical Variation, Pollock Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
84,615 games: White 53.5% / Draw 4.5% / Black 42.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 57,68958K | ||
| 10,51711K | ||
| 7,2707,270 | ||
| 2,5352,535 | ||
| 2,0602,060 | ||
| 1,9461,946 | ||
| 1,4781,478 | ||
| 573573 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 7... O-O 8. f4 c5 9. Nf3 cxd4 10. Nxd4 Nc6 11. O-O-O Nxd4 12. Rxd4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: Classical Variation, Pollock Variation (ECO C14, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Classical Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. Qg4 (7 moves).
In 84,615 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.5%, Black 42.0% and 4.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…O-O, in 68% 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: Classical Variation, Pollock Variation
7…g6 scores best for Black: 47.6%, with Black winning 44.8% and White 49.7% of 11K games. The most played answer, 7…O-O, scores lowest: 43.7% in 58K games. Stockfish's first choice is 7…O-O.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “French Defense: Classical Variation, Pollock Variation (C14)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-classical-variation-pollock-variation