French Defense: Classical Variation, Stahlberg Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
643 games: White 48.1% / Draw 4.0% / Black 47.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 303303 | ||
| 183183 | ||
| 7171 | ||
| 3636 | ||
| 2626 | ||
| 55 | ||
| 55 | ||
| 33 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.46 White is slightly better
Best play: 11. h4 b5 12. Nxb5 Rb8 13. Nd6 Nb6 14. Qe3 Bd7 15. h5 Nc8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: Classical Variation, Stahlberg Variation (ECO C14, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. f4 O-O 8. Nf3 c5 9. Qd2 Nc6 10. O-O-O c4 (10 moves).
In 643 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.1%, Black 47.9% and 4.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 11. g4, in 47% 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, Stahlberg Variation
11. f5 scores best for White: 50.5%, with White winning 48.1% and Black 47.0% of 183 games. The most played answer, 11. g4, scores lowest: 49.3% in 303 games. Stockfish's first choice is 11. h4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White'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, Stahlberg Variation (C14)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-classical-variation-stahlberg-variation