French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
370,570 games: White 49.1% / Draw 4.9% / Black 46.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 124,436124K | ||
| 106,296106K | ||
| 73,58974K | ||
| 35,67136K | ||
| 7,5317,531 | ||
| 5,9315,931 | ||
| 4,8174,817 | ||
| 2,8722,872 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 24, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.14 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... c5 5. Nf3 c4 6. Be2 Bb4 7. Nd2 Nc6 8. e5 Nd7 9. Nf3
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 51% under 1400, 54% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 90K | |
| 1400–1799 | 142K | |
| 1800–2199 | 241K | |
| 2200 and up | 41K | |
| Masters, over the board | 172 |
Master games
- Kovalenko, I. – Abdusattorov, N.
- Bortnyk, O. – Jumabayev, R.
- Mamedov, N. – Nyzhnyk, I.
- Rabiega, R. – Topalov, V.
- Asrian, K. – Andersson, U.
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: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation (ECO C11, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Classical Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bd3 (4 moves).
In 370,570 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.1%, Black 46.0% and 4.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…c5, in 34% 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, Swiss Variation
The most played answer, 4…c5, also scores best for Black: 52.4%, with Black winning 49.9% and White 45.0% of 124K games. Of the main answers, 4…dxe4 scores lowest: 45.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…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: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation peaked in 2018 at 0.019% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.015% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.014% | 5,026 |
| 2017 | 0.018% | 9,644 |
| 2018 | 0.019% | 14,572 |
| 2019 | 0.017% | 20,602 |
| 2020 | 0.015% | 44,311 |
| 2021 | 0.014% | 53,201 |
| 2022 | 0.013% | 49,042 |
| 2023 | 0.013% | 49,622 |
| 2024 | 0.014% | 49,915 |
| 2025 | 0.015% | 51,582 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.015% | 16,788 |
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: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation (C11)”. Lichess data as of 24 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-classical-variation-swiss-variation