French Defense: Steinitz Variation 6. dxc5 Nc6
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Statistics from Lichess
7,727 games: White 44.6% / Draw 4.5% / Black 50.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,8313,831 | ||
| 1,2351,235 | ||
| 1,0151,015 | ||
| 412412 | ||
| 402402 | ||
| 393393 | ||
| 250250 | ||
| 5757 |
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: 7. Bd2 Nxc5 8. Nf3 Qb6 9. Be3 Qxb2 10. Nb5 Ne4 11. Rb1 Qxa2
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: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. dxc5 Nc6 (6 moves).
In 7,727 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.6%, Black 50.8% and 4.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Nf3, in 50% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Brodsky-Jones Variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 6…Nc6
7. Bd2 scores best for White: 57.6%, with White winning 55.7% and Black 40.5% of 393 games. The most played, 7. Nf3, scores 46.6% in 3,831 games, and 7. Be3 scores lowest: 42.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. Bd2.
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 (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “French Defense: Steinitz Variation (C11)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-steinitz-variation-5