French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Janowski Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
29,792 games: White 52.9% / Draw 5.5% / Black 41.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 24,41524K | ||
| 3,6293,629 | ||
| 1,6501,650 | ||
| 3737 | ||
| 3434 | ||
| 66 | ||
| 55 | ||
| 33 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.20 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... Ne4 7. Qg4 g6 8. Ne2 c5 9. O-O-O Bxc3 10. Nxc3 Nxc3 11. bxc3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Janowski Variation (ECO C12, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Advance Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. Be3 (6 moves).
In 29,792 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.9%, Black 41.7% and 5.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Ne4, in 82% 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, Janowski Variation
The most played answer, 6…Ne4, also scores best for Black: 45.3%, with Black winning 42.4% and White 51.9% of 24K games. Of the main answers, 6…Bxc3+ scores lowest: 39.7%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…Ne4.
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, Janowski Variation (C12)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-mccutcheon-variation-janowski-variation