- ECO code
- C10
- Moves
- 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4
- Family
- French Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 307
- Average game length
- 42 moves
- Years covered
- 1866–2026
French Defense: Rubinstein Variation is the opening filed under ECO code C10, reached after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4. It belongs to the French Defense family and is known as the Rubinstein Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 307 games on this line — the 303rd 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 2000s, with 91 games. An average game here lasts 42 moves.
White wins 47% of those games, 38% end in a draw, and Black wins 15%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 13 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 4.Nxe4, played in 307 games. After 4.Nxe4 White scores 47% and Black 15%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Karjakin,Sergey (21 games); on the Black side, Meier,Geo (21).
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Results in master games
- White 47% (146)
- Draws 38% (116)
- Black 15% (45)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.Nxe4 | 307 | 47/38/15 | — |
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
- Karjakin,Sergey 21
- Anand,V 18
- Caruana,F 17
As Black
- Meier,Geo 21
- Ivanchuk,V 12
- Bareev,E 9
Games per decade
- 1860s 4
- 1890s 4
- 1900s 6
- 1910s 5
- 1920s 3
- 1930s 3
- 1940s 4
- 1950s 4
- 1960s 6
- 1970s 4
- 1980s 2
- 1990s 39
- 2000s 91
- 2010s 81
- 2020s 51
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| So,W | Caruana,F | 1-0 | 2026 | American Cup Champ |
| Chigaev,M | Ivanchuk,V | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Grischuk,A | Rustemov,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th Feb 2026 |
| Caruana,F | Rustemov,A | 1-0 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 12th Mar 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Korchynskyi,Mykola | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 12th May 2026 |
| Niemann,Hans Moke | Praggnanandhaa,R | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 88th Tata Steel Masters |
Frequently asked questions
What is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code C10, reached after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4. It belongs to the French Defense family.
Is the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation good for White or for Black?
In 307 master games on this line White wins 47%, 38% are drawn and Black wins 15%. 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: Rubinstein Variation?
4.Nxe4 — played in 307 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the French Defense: Rubinstein Variation?
On the White side Karjakin,Sergey (21), Anand,V (18), Caruana,F (17); on the Black side Meier,Geo (21), Ivanchuk,V (12), Bareev,E (9).
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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