French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Duras Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,510 games: White 54.3% / Draw 5.3% / Black 40.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,0871,087 | ||
| 360360 | ||
| 2525 | ||
| 99 | ||
| 77 | ||
| 55 | ||
| 55 | ||
| 33 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 23, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.15 The position is about equal
Best play: 9... c5 10. Bd3 Nxc3 11. dxc5 Qa5 12. Bd2 Qa4 13. h3 Ne4 14. Ne2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Duras Variation (ECO C12, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Queen's Knight, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. Bd2 Bxc3 7. bxc3 Ne4 8. Qg4 Kf8 9. Bc1 (9 moves).
In 1,510 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 54.3%, Black 40.4% and 5.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…c5, in 72% 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: McCutcheon Variation, Duras Variation
The most played answer, 9…c5, also scores best for Black: 43.9%, with Black winning 41.2% and White 53.4% of 1,087 games. Of the main answers, 9…Nxc3 scores lowest: 41.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 9…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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Duras Variation (C12)”. Lichess data as of 23 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-mccutcheon-variation-duras-variation