French Defense: Classical Variation, Tartakower Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
93,740 games: White 50.1% / Draw 5.7% / Black 44.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 62,47262K | ||
| 25,22525K | ||
| 3,6373,637 | ||
| 1,1111,111 | ||
| 919919 | ||
| 143143 | ||
| 128128 | ||
| 2222 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.86 White is better
Best play: 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. Nxe4 dxe4 8. Qe2 b6 9. Qxe4 Qb4+ 10. Kd1 Qxb2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: Classical Variation, Tartakower Variation (ECO C13, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Classical Variation, Normal Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Ne4 (5 moves).
In 93,740 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.1%, Black 44.2% and 5.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Bxe7, in 67% 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, Tartakower Variation
6. Nxe4 scores best for White: 54.7%, with White winning 51.8% and Black 42.4% of 25K games. The most played answer, 6. Bxe7, scores lowest: 52.3% in 62K games. Stockfish's first choice is 6. Bxe7.
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, Tartakower Variation (C13)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-classical-variation-tartakower-variation