French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation 9. Qxh7 Nbc6
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Statistics from Lichess
18,126 games: White 48.0% / Draw 4.4% / Black 47.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 5,2835,283 | ||
| 4,0274,027 | ||
| 3,7523,752 | ||
| 3,0963,096 | ||
| 626626 | ||
| 547547 | ||
| 154154 | ||
| 150150 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.20 White is better
Best play: 10. Nf3 Qc7 11. Bf4 Bd7 12. Bd3 O-O-O 13. Bg3 dxc3 14. O-O Qa5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation (ECO C18, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 cxd4 8. Qxg7 Rg8 9. Qxh7 Nbc6 (9 moves).
In 18,126 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.0%, Black 47.7% and 4.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 10. f4, in 29% 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 9…Nbc6
10. Nf3 scores best for White: 53.5%, with White winning 51.5% and Black 44.5% of 4,027 games. The most played, 10. f4, scores 51.8% in 5,283 games, and 10. cxd4 scores lowest: 43.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 10. Nf3.
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: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation (C18)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-winawer-variation-poisoned-pawn-variation-3