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French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation

339K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

51.4%

45%55%
Floor51.3%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.5%.

Measured over 339K games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for White

Draw 4.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 339K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
339K
Best context
56.0% at 2500+ Blitz
Worst context
47.0% at 0-999 Bullet
Average game length
35 moves
Games that end decisively
95.3%
Draws
4.7%

Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.

Where it holds · White score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 41.2% at 0-999, 49.3% at 2500+.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
0-999
1000-1199
1200-1399
1400-1599
1600-1799
1800-1999
2000-2199
2200-2499
2500+

Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control

  • 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 20.4% expected score (12 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 47.0% expected score (2,162 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 48.0% expected score (5,124 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 47.3% expected score (3,467 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 43.3% expected score (28 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 33.8% expected score (51 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 49.6% expected score (3,894 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 50.2% expected score (4,504 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 49.0% expected score (2,826 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 42.4% expected score (90 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 46.6% expected score (147 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.5% expected score (7,603 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.3% expected score (6,746 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 51.0% expected score (2,530 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 43.9% expected score (146 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 48.1% expected score (563 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (13,849 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (13,264 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.0% expected score (3,351 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 43.4% expected score (217 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 49.7% expected score (672 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (23,678 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (23,812 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.3% expected score (4,739 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 46.9% expected score (256 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 56.3% expected score (491 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.1% expected score (35,604 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (39,635 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.8% expected score (6,645 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 53.0% expected score (319 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 47.8% expected score (247 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.5% expected score (41,624 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (31,354 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 51.3% expected score (4,766 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 51.8% expected score (114 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 52.5% expected score (81 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (32,192 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.4% expected score (10,765 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 53.0% expected score (1,184 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 47.2% expected score (16 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.3% expected score (9,422 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.0% expected score (743 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 55.1% expected score (48 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 42.0% expected score (11 games)

Related Openings

Parent
French Defense
45.7%
Variations (5)
French Defense: Knight Variation
48.3%
French Defense: Exchange Variation
47.7%
French Defense: Normal Variation
50.3%
French Defense: Advance Variation
48.0%
French Defense: Queen's Knight
48.5%
Analyze French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation scores 51.4% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.3% and 51.5% — from 339K Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

How the figures are made
Whose games these are
339K+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
Which games we count
  • Rated games only — nothing casual.
  • Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
  • At least 2 moves played.
  • A game is filed under White’s rating.
Why every number comes with a range
A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
How much we need before we say anything
An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation win rate?

Playing the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation, White wins 49.0%, draws 4.7% and loses 46.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 339K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation perform best?

The French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 54.5% (10K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 51.4% in Blitz (136K games) against 50.4% in Rapid (30K games).

How sharp is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation?

The French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a sharpness score of 95.3 (very decisive), meaning 95.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 45.4%, draws 4.2% and loses 50.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 47.8%, draws 3.5% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.6%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 48.9%, draws 3.0% and loses 48.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 49.5%, draws 3.3% and loses 47.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 31K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 49.7%, draws 3.9% and loses 46.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 53K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 48.6%, draws 4.8% and loses 46.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 83K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 49.0%, draws 5.3% and loses 45.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.7%. It rests on 78K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 49.6%, draws 5.8% and loses 44.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.5%. It rests on 44K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 50.8%, draws 7.3% and loses 41.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 10K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.

What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 48.9%, draws 1.9% and loses 49.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 2.3K Lichess games.

What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 49.7%, draws 3.7% and loses 46.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 170K Lichess games.

What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 48.6%, draws 5.6% and loses 45.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.4%. It rests on 136K Lichess games.

What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 47.3%, draws 6.0% and loses 46.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 30K Lichess games.

What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 43.4%, draws 8.1% and loses 48.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.5%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games.

Is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation a good opening?

The French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 49.0% of its games and loses 46.3%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.