French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation 9. Bd2 c4
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Statistics from Lichess
3,160 games: White 52.8% / Draw 5.2% / Black 42.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,3491,349 | ||
| 746746 | ||
| 625625 | ||
| 197197 | ||
| 121121 | ||
| 4747 | ||
| 2222 | ||
| 1717 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.56 White is slightly better
Best play: 10. h4 Bd7 11. h5 h6 12. g3 O-O-O 13. Qc1 Kb8 14. Qa3 Ka8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation (ECO C19, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. a4 Nbc6 8. Nf3 Qa5 9. Bd2 c4 (9 moves).
In 3,160 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.8%, Black 42.1% and 5.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 10. Be2, in 43% 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…c4
10. g3 scores best for White: 61.2%, with White winning 58.3% and Black 35.9% of 746 games. The most played, 10. Be2, scores 52.9% in 1,349 games, and 10. Ng5 scores lowest: 48.7%. Stockfish's first choice is 10. h4.
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, Positional Variation (C19)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-winawer-variation-positional-variation-11