French Defense: Steinitz Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
102,245 games: White 43.9% / Draw 4.5% / Black 51.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 35,86036K | ||
| French Defense: Classical Variation | 19,09119K | |
| 10,47110K | ||
| 7,5957,595 | ||
| 7,5707,570 | ||
| 7,3067,306 | ||
| 5,6195,619 | ||
| 4,9654,965 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.50 White is slightly better
Best play: 6. Ne2 c5 7. c3 Nc6 8. g3 Qa5 9. Bd2 Qb6 10. Rb1 cxd4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: Steinitz Variation (ECO C11, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Paulsen Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 a6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nfd7 (5 moves).
In 102,245 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 43.9%, Black 51.6% and 4.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Bd3, in 35% of those games.
It branches into 3 named variations; the most played is French Defense: Classical Variation.
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: Steinitz Variation
6. Ne2 scores best for White: 50.7%, with White winning 48.1% and Black 46.7% of 10K games. The most played, 6. Bd3, scores 46.3% in 36K games, and 6. Be2 scores lowest: 43.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. Ne2.
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
Variations (3)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “French Defense: Steinitz Variation (C11)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-steinitz-variation