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French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation

339K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
White Expected Score51.4%Range (90% confident): 51.3% – 51.5%Based on 339K games
0%51.4%100%
Range (90% confident): 51.3% – 51.5%
Outcome Distribution
49.0%4.7%46.3%
Win
Draw
Loss
4.exd5
French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation
Analyzen=339K
Avg Length35 moves
Sharpness95%
Draw Rate4.7%

What is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a 51.4% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 51.3% and 51.5%), based on 339K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 45% → 51%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 45.4% win rate (10,793 games)
  • 1000-1199: 47.8% win rate (11,365 games)
  • 1200-1399: 48.9% win rate (17,172 games)
  • 1400-1599: 49.5% win rate (31,244 games)
  • 1600-1799: 49.7% win rate (53,157 games)
  • 1800-1999: 48.6% win rate (82,694 games)
  • 2000-2199: 49.0% win rate (78,105 games)
  • 2200-2499: 49.6% win rate (44,238 games)
  • 2500+: 50.8% win rate (10,227 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Bullet (50%), worst in Classical (43%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 48.9% win rate (2,267 games)
  • Bullet: 49.7% win rate (170,028 games)
  • Blitz: 48.6% win rate (135,947 games)
  • Rapid: 47.3% win rate (29,556 games)
  • Classical: 43.4% win rate (1,197 games)

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

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: Advance Variation
48.0%
French Defense: Advance Variation, Euwe Variation
46.1%
French Defense: Advance Variation, Extended Bishop Swap
48.6%
French Defense: Advance Variation, Frenkel Gambit
46.5%
French Defense: Advance Variation, Lputian Variation
48.8%
Analyze French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a 49.0% (90% CI: 48.9%-49.2%) win rate for white, based 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 at 2500+ Elo with a 50.8% win rate for white (10K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

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

Bullet (49.7%) outperforms Classical (43.4%) by 6.3%. Choose your time control wisely.

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 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a 45.4% (90% CI: 44.6%-46.2%) win rate for white, based on 11K Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 4.2% draw rate.

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

At 1000-1199 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a 47.8% (90% CI: 47.0%-48.5%) win rate for white, based on 11K Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 3.5% draw rate.

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

At 1200-1399 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a 48.9% (90% CI: 48.2%-49.5%) win rate for white, based on 17K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.

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

At 1400-1599 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a 49.5% (90% CI: 49.0%-49.9%) win rate for white, based on 31K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.3% draw rate.

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

At 1600-1799 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a 49.7% (90% CI: 49.3%-50.0%) win rate for white, based on 53K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.9% draw rate.

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

At 1800-1999 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a 48.6% (90% CI: 48.3%-48.9%) win rate for white, based on 83K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 4.8% draw rate.

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

At 2000-2199 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a 49.0% (90% CI: 48.7%-49.3%) win rate for white, based on 78K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 5.3% draw rate.

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

At 2200-2499 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a 49.6% (90% CI: 49.2%-50.0%) win rate for white, based on 44K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 5.8% draw rate.

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

At 2500+ Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a 50.8% (90% CI: 50.0%-51.6%) win rate for white, based on 10K Lichess games. Average game length is 41 moves with a 7.3% draw rate.

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

In UltraBullet games, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a 48.9% (90% CI: 47.2%-50.6%) win rate for white (2.3K Lichess games). Draw rate is 1.9%.

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

In Bullet games, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a 49.7% (90% CI: 49.5%-49.9%) win rate for white (170K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.7%.

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

In Blitz games, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a 48.6% (90% CI: 48.3%-48.8%) win rate for white (136K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.6%.

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

In Rapid games, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a 47.3% (90% CI: 46.8%-47.8%) win rate for white (30K Lichess games). Draw rate is 6.0%.

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

In Classical games, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation has a 43.4% (90% CI: 41.1%-45.8%) win rate for white (1.2K Lichess games). Draw rate is 8.1%.

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

The French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation is statistically balanced with a 49.0% (90% CI: 48.9%-49.2%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2500+ Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.