French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Chistyakov Defense, Modern Line
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Statistics from Lichess
25,105 games: White 47.6% / Draw 8.5% / Black 43.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 8,6668,666 | ||
| 8,4338,433 | ||
| 2,1572,157 | ||
| 1,6551,655 | ||
| 1,6321,632 | ||
| 1,0421,042 | ||
| 762762 | ||
| 275275 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.17 The position is about equal
Best play: 11. Bb3 Bd7 12. h3 Bc6 13. c3 Be7 14. Nxc6 Qxc6 15. a4 h6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Chistyakov Defense, Modern Line (ECO C07, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Chistyakov Defense, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Ngf3 cxd4 6. Bc4 Qd6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Nb3 Nc6 9. Nbxd4 Nxd4 10. Nxd4 a6 (10 moves).
In 25,105 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.6%, Black 43.9% and 8.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 11. c3, in 35% 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: Tarrasch Variation, Chistyakov Defense, Modern Line
11. Bb3 scores best for White: 56.0%, with White winning 51.0% and Black 38.9% of 1,632 games. The most played, 11. c3, scores 50.3% in 8,666 games, and 11. Be3 scores lowest: 46.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 11. Bb3.
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: Tarrasch Variation, Chistyakov Defense, Modern Line (C07)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-tarrasch-variation-chistyakov-defense-modern-line