French Defense: Classical Variation, Rubinstein Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
22,380 games: White 55.5% / Draw 5.5% / Black 39.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 11,25111K | ||
| 6,1166,116 | ||
| 3,9113,911 | ||
| 265265 | ||
| 180180 | ||
| 163163 | ||
| 131131 | ||
| 116116 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 9, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.32 White is slightly better
Best play: 7... O-O 8. f4 c5 9. Nf3 Nc6 10. O-O-O a6 11. h4 f6 12. exf6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: Classical Variation, Rubinstein 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. Qd2 (7 moves).
In 22,380 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 55.5%, Black 39.0% and 5.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…a6, in 50% 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, Rubinstein Variation
7…O-O scores best for Black: 46.3%, with Black winning 43.3% and White 50.8% of 3,911 games. The most played, 7…a6, scores 44.6% in 11K games, and 7…c5 scores lowest: 33.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 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, Rubinstein Variation (C14)”. Lichess data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-classical-variation-rubinstein-variation