French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation
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Statistics from Lichess
10,405 games: White 49.4% / Draw 8.0% / Black 42.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,4323,432 | ||
| 2,2222,222 | ||
| 1,7601,760 | ||
| 1,2121,212 | ||
| 817817 | ||
| 359359 | ||
| 135135 | ||
| 135135 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... Bd6 6. O-O O-O 7. c3 e5 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Ne4 Be7 10. Re1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation (ECO C00, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: King's Indian Attack, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 Nc6 5. Be2 (5 moves).
In 10,405 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.4%, Black 42.6% and 8.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…dxe4, in 33% of those games.
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How to play against the French Defense: Reversed Philidor Formation
5…e5 scores best for Black: 49.9%, with Black winning 45.5% and White 45.7% of 2,222 games. The most played, 5…dxe4, scores 45.9% in 3,432 games, and 5…Be7 scores lowest: 41.7%. Stockfish's first choice is 5…Bd6.
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: Reversed Philidor Formation (C00)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-reversed-philidor-formation