- ECO code
- C11
- Moves
- 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6
- Family
- French Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 1,548
- Average game length
- 43 moves
- Years covered
- 1866–2026
French Defense: Classical Variation is the opening filed under ECO code C11, reached after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6. It belongs to the French Defense family and is known as the Classical Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,548 games on this line — the 77th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1866 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 438 games. An average game here lasts 43 moves.
White wins 39% of those games, 33% end in a draw, and Black wins 28%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%).
From this position the most popular move is 4.Bg5, played in 756 games, followed by 4.e5 (731) and 4.exd5 (41). 4.Bg5 leads into French Defense: Classical Variation (C11). After 4.Bg5 White scores 35% and Black 30%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Caruana,F (56 games); on the Black side, Erigaisi,Arjun (105).
5 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them French Defense: Classical Variation (C11); French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation; French Defense: Steinitz 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 39% (605)
- Draws 33% (508)
- Black 28% (435)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.Bg5 | 756 | 35/35/30 | French Defense: Classical Variation (C11) |
| 4.e5 | 731 | 42/31/27 | French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation |
| 4.exd5 | 41 | 49/34/17 | — |
| 4.Bd3 | 18 | 44/39/17 | — |
| 4.f4 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 4.Qd3 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Classical Variation (C11) · 4.Bg5 · 756 games
- Steinitz Variation · 4.e5 · 731 games
- French Defense: Steinitz Variation · 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 · 582 games
- French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Boleslavsky Variation · 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 · 512 games
- Burn Variation · 4.Bg5 dxe4 · 406 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
Played most often by
As White
- Caruana,F 56
- Hou Yifan 56
- Anand,V 45
As Black
- Erigaisi,Arjun 105
- Korchnoi,V 68
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 58
Games per decade
- 1860s 3
- 1870s 15
- 1880s 9
- 1890s 26
- 1900s 65
- 1910s 56
- 1920s 67
- 1930s 38
- 1940s 13
- 1950s 14
- 1960s 38
- 1970s 12
- 1980s 40
- 1990s 114
- 2000s 311
- 2010s 289
- 2020s 438
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vokhidov,Shamsiddin | Erigaisi,Arjun | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 12th Mar 2026 |
| 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 |
| Moussard,J | Erigaisi,Arjun | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 23rd Jun 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the French Defense: Classical Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code C11, reached after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6. It belongs to the French Defense family.
Is the French Defense: Classical Variation good for White or for Black?
In 1,548 master games on this line White wins 39%, 33% are drawn and Black wins 28%. 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?
4.Bg5 — played in 756 of the master games on this line, which leads into French Defense: Classical Variation (C11).
Which grandmasters play the French Defense: Classical Variation?
On the White side Caruana,F (56), Hou Yifan (56), Anand,V (45); on the Black side Erigaisi,Arjun (105), Korchnoi,V (68), Kortschnoj, Viktor (58).
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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