- ECO code
- C11
- Moves
- 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5
- Family
- French Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 731
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1873–2026
French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation is the opening filed under ECO code C11, reached after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5. It belongs to the French Defense family and is known as the Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 731 games on this line — the 151st most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1873 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 291 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 42% of those games, 31% end in a draw, and Black wins 27%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%).
From this position the most popular move is 4...Nfd7, played in 707 games, followed by 4...Ne4 (20) and 4...Ng8 (4). After 4...Nfd7 White scores 43% and Black 26%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Caruana,F (39 games); on the Black side, Erigaisi,Arjun (64).
2 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them French Defense: Steinitz Variation; French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Boleslavsky Variation.
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 42% (305)
- Draws 31% (226)
- Black 27% (200)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4...Nfd7 | 707 | 43/31/26 | — |
| 4...Ne4 | 20 | 20/10/70 | — |
| 4...Ng8 | 4 | 50/50/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- French Defense: Steinitz Variation · 4...Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 · 582 games
- French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Boleslavsky Variation · 4...Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 · 512 games
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- French Defense · 1.e4 e6 · 6,176 games
- French Defense: Normal Variation · 1.e4 e6 2.d4 · 5,579 games
- French Defense · 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 · 5,533 games
- French Defense: Paulsen Variation · 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 · 3,079 games
- French Defense: Classical Variation · 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 · 1,548 games
Played most often by
As White
- Caruana,F 39
- Hou Yifan 37
- Karjakin,Sergey 34
As Black
- Erigaisi,Arjun 64
- Shirov,A 31
- Grischuk,A 23
Games per decade
- 1870s 3
- 1880s 3
- 1890s 11
- 1900s 12
- 1910s 2
- 1920s 2
- 1930s 4
- 1950s 1
- 1960s 7
- 1970s 1
- 1980s 17
- 1990s 47
- 2000s 117
- 2010s 213
- 2020s 291
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caruana,F | Gharibyan,Mamikon | 1-0 | 2026 | 3rd 3-0 Thu 19th Feb 2026 |
| Daneshvar,Bardiya | Aronian,L | 1-0 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn2 |
| Pranesh,M | Erigaisi,Arjun | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 19th May 2026 |
| Moussard,J | Erigaisi,Arjun | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 21st Apr 2026 |
| Silwal,Purushottam | Erigaisi,Arjun | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 19th May 2026 |
| Vachier Lagrave,M | Erigaisi,Arjun | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th Feb 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code C11, reached after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5. It belongs to the French Defense family.
Is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation good for White or for Black?
In 731 master games on this line White wins 42%, 31% are drawn and Black wins 27%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation?
4...Nfd7 — played in 707 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation?
On the White side Caruana,F (39), Hou Yifan (37), Karjakin,Sergey (34); on the Black side Erigaisi,Arjun (64), Shirov,A (31), Grischuk,A (23).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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