French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation 8. Qg4 g6
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Statistics from Lichess
23,223 games: White 48.8% / Draw 7.9% / Black 43.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 16,42816K | ||
| 3,2953,295 | ||
| 1,2651,265 | ||
| 1,2211,221 | ||
| 724724 | ||
| 9999 | ||
| 6060 | ||
| 3232 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.40 White is slightly better
Best play: 9. Bc1 c5 10. Bd3 Nxc3 11. dxc5 Qa5 12. Bd2 Qa4 13. h3 Ne4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation (ECO C12, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. Bd2 Bxc3 7. bxc3 Ne4 8. Qg4 g6 (8 moves).
In 23,223 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.8%, Black 43.3% and 7.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 9. Bd3, in 71% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 8…g6
9. Bc1 scores best for White: 59.7%, with White winning 56.8% and Black 37.3% of 1,221 games. The most played, 9. Bd3, scores 52.2% in 16K games, and 9. Nf3 scores lowest: 51.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 9. Bc1.
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: McCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation (C12)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-mccutcheon-variation-lasker-variation-2