French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Morozevich Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
211,874 games: White 46.9% / Draw 6.6% / Black 46.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 83,92984K | ||
| 49,11049K | ||
| 41,88042K | ||
| 23,14323K | ||
| 3,8423,842 | ||
| 3,7013,701 | ||
| 1,7461,746 | ||
| 1,3471,347 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.41 White is slightly better
Best play: 4. Ngf3 c5 5. dxc5 Nf6 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. a3 a5 8. Ne4 O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 702 | |
| 1400–1799 | 12K | |
| 1800–2199 | 103K | |
| 2200 and up | 99K | |
| Masters, over the board | 4,819 |
Master games
- Karjakin, S. – Topalov, V.
- Duda, J. – So, W.
- Kamsky, G. – Nakamura, H.
- Svidler, P. – Morozevich, A.
- Svidler, P. – Yu Yangyi
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Morozevich Variation (ECO C03, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Be7 (3 moves).
In 211,874 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.9%, Black 46.4% and 6.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Ngf3, in 40% 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, Morozevich Variation
4. c3 scores best for White: 51.4%, with White winning 47.9% and Black 45.2% of 23K games. The most played, 4. Ngf3, scores 50.9% in 84K games, and 4. e5 scores lowest: 48.4%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. Ngf3.
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
Popularity by year
The French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Morozevich Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.0076% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.011% (its peak: 0.013% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.011% | 3,942 |
| 2017 | 0.013% | 7,031 |
| 2018 | 0.013% | 10,242 |
| 2019 | 0.0098% | 12,274 |
| 2020 | 0.0098% | 28,562 |
| 2021 | 0.0073% | 28,444 |
| 2022 | 0.0073% | 27,543 |
| 2023 | 0.0075% | 28,372 |
| 2024 | 0.0075% | 26,776 |
| 2025 | 0.0076% | 26,500 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0077% | 8,394 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Morozevich Variation (C03)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-tarrasch-variation-morozevich-variation