French Defense: Winawer Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, Icelandic Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
7,132 games: White 50.2% / Draw 7.8% / Black 42.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,1713,171 | ||
| 1,4781,478 | ||
| 1,3841,384 | ||
| 337337 | ||
| 300300 | ||
| 174174 | ||
| 108108 | ||
| 7777 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.10 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... cxd4 7. Nb5 Bc5 8. b4 a6 9. bxc5 axb5 10. Bxb5+ Bd7 11. Bd3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, Icelandic Defense (ECO C17, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. Bd2 Ne7 6. f4 (6 moves).
In 7,132 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.2%, Black 42.0% and 7.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…cxd4, in 44% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 6. f4
6…O-O scores best for Black: 47.1%, with Black winning 43.4% and White 49.1% of 1,384 games. The most played, 6…cxd4, scores 45.1% in 3,171 games, and 6…Nbc6 scores lowest: 44.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 6…cxd4.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “French Defense: Winawer Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, Icelandic Defense (C17)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-winawer-variation-bogoljubow-variation-icelandic-defense