French Defense: Classical Variation, Richter Attack 6…Be7 7. Qg4
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Statistics from Lichess
35,915 games: White 52.2% / Draw 3.8% / Black 44.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 24,91825K | ||
| 6,7746,774 | ||
| 1,7071,707 | ||
| 1,2151,215 | ||
| 449449 | ||
| 323323 | ||
| 203203 | ||
| 8282 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.67 Black is slightly better
Best play: 7... O-O 8. Nf3 c5 9. dxc5 Nd7 10. Bd3 Nxc5 11. O-O Bd7 12. Qd4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: Classical Variation, Richter Attack (ECO C13, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Classical Variation, Richter Attack, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. Bxf6 Bxf6 6. e5 Be7 7. Qg4 (7 moves).
In 35,915 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.2%, Black 44.0% and 3.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…O-O, in 69% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 7. Qg4
7…g6 scores best for Black: 50.4%, with Black winning 48.1% and White 47.4% of 6,774 games. The most played answer, 7…O-O, scores lowest: 44.9% in 25K 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, Richter Attack (C13)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-classical-variation-richter-attack-2