French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Ellis Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
11,606 games: White 57.8% / Draw 4.9% / Black 37.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,9893,989 | ||
| 3,7783,778 | ||
| 2,4872,487 | ||
| 446446 | ||
| 379379 | ||
| 192192 | ||
| 8787 | ||
| 6464 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 22, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.80 White is clearly better
Best play: 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Qe2 Qd5 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Qxe5+ Qxe5+ 9. Nxe5 O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Ellis Gambit (ECO C10, Open Games) is a gambit in the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 e5 (4 moves).
In 11,606 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 57.8%, Black 37.2% and 4.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. dxe5, in 34% 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: Rubinstein Variation, Ellis Gambit
5. Nf3 scores best for White: 65.9%, with White winning 63.6% and Black 31.7% of 3,778 games. The most played, 5. dxe5, scores 58.7% in 3,989 games, and 5. d5 scores lowest: 54.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. Nf3.
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: Rubinstein Variation, Ellis Gambit (C10)”. Lichess data as of 22 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-rubinstein-variation-ellis-gambit