French Defense: Two Knights Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
3,260,031 games: White 49.3% / Draw 4.9% / Black 45.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,010,0371M | ||
| 882,013882K | ||
| 796,431796K | ||
| 282,286282K | ||
| 103,185103K | ||
| 80,26380K | ||
| 29,16229K | ||
| 18,91619K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 11, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 Nf6 6. e5 Nfd7 7. cxd4 cxd4 8. Nexd4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for White: White scores 48% under 1400, 53% at 2200 and up and 51% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1.6M | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.6M | |
| 1800–2199 | 2M | |
| 2200 and up | 408K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,791 |
Master games
- Sindarov, J. – Sevian, S.
- Sindarov, J. – Moussard, J.
- Dubov, D. – Tregubov, P.
- Sindarov, J. – Gavrilescu, D.
- Harikrishna, P. – Berelowitsch, A.
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 26, 2026
Overview
French Defense: Two Knights Variation (ECO C00, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Knight Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Nc3 (3 moves).
In 3,260,031 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.3%, Black 45.8% and 4.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Nf6, in 31% 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: Two Knights Variation
The most played answer, 3…Nf6, also scores best for Black: 50.1%, with Black winning 47.5% and White 47.4% of 1M games. Of the main answers, 3…c5 scores lowest: 45.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 3…d4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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: Two Knights Variation has gained ground since 2016: 0.14% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.1%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.1% | 36,747 |
| 2017 | 0.12% | 65,324 |
| 2018 | 0.13% | 101,560 |
| 2019 | 0.13% | 164,384 |
| 2020 | 0.13% | 385,294 |
| 2021 | 0.12% | 463,358 |
| 2022 | 0.12% | 441,086 |
| 2023 | 0.12% | 467,636 |
| 2024 | 0.13% | 460,083 |
| 2025 | 0.14% | 471,319 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.14% | 152,308 |
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: Two Knights Variation (C00)”. Lichess data as of 11 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-two-knights-variation