French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Bogoljubow Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
423 games: White 50.1% / Draw 8.7% / Black 41.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 257257 | ||
| 6666 | ||
| 3535 | ||
| 2222 | ||
| 1616 | ||
| 1313 | ||
| 1010 | ||
| 22 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.19 The position is about equal
Best play: 8. Nge2 Bd7 9. a3 Nc6 10. O-O-O Bd6 11. d5 Ne5 12. Nd4 O-O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Bogoljubow Variation (ECO C12, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Exchange Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Bxf6 gxf6 7. Qd2 Qa5 (7 moves).
In 423 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.1%, Black 41.1% and 8.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. Nge2, in 61% of those games.
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Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Bogoljubow Variation (C12)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-mccutcheon-variation-bogoljubow-variation