French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Wolf Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
33,073 games: White 49.6% / Draw 7.3% / Black 43.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 14,97915K | ||
| 13,98714K | ||
| 1,3431,343 | ||
| 1,3371,337 | ||
| 468468 | ||
| 371371 | ||
| 173173 | ||
| 132132 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... dxe4 6. a3 Be7 7. Bxf6 gxf6 8. Nxe4 f5 9. N4c3 h5 10. h4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Wolf Gambit (ECO C15, Open Games) is a gambit in the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine-Maróczy Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Ne2 Nf6 5. Bg5 (5 moves).
In 33,073 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.6%, Black 43.0% and 7.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…h6, in 45% 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, Wolf Gambit
The most played answer, 5…h6, also scores best for Black: 47.2%, with Black winning 43.5% and White 49.2% of 15K games. Of the main answers, 5…dxe4 scores lowest: 47.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 5…dxe4.
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Wolf Gambit (C15)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-mccutcheon-variation-wolf-gambit