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French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation

1.5M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
White Expected Score51.4%Range (90% confident): 51.4% – 51.5%Based on 1.5M games
0%51.4%100%
Range (90% confident): 51.4% – 51.5%
Outcome Distribution
49.5%3.8%46.7%
Win
Draw
Loss
4.e5
French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation
Analyzen=1.5M
Avg Length34 moves
Sharpness96%
Draw Rate3.8%

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

Snapshot

At all ratings, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a 51.4% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 51.4% and 51.5%), based on 1.5M Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 51% → 53%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 50.6% win rate (30,273 games)
  • 1000-1199: 50.2% win rate (53,464 games)
  • 1200-1399: 49.0% win rate (93,219 games)
  • 1400-1599: 48.3% win rate (160,702 games)
  • 1600-1799: 47.7% win rate (255,691 games)
  • 1800-1999: 48.4% win rate (353,339 games)
  • 2000-2199: 50.2% win rate (318,543 games)
  • 2200-2499: 52.7% win rate (200,393 games)
  • 2500+: 52.7% win rate (44,990 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (54%), worst in Classical (47%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 53.7% win rate (4,755 games)
  • Bullet: 51.0% win rate (544,597 games)
  • Blitz: 48.8% win rate (756,072 games)
  • Rapid: 47.9% win rate (196,518 games)
  • Classical: 47.4% win rate (8,672 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: 28.1% expected score (19 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 48.6% expected score (5,725 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 52.2% expected score (16,448 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 55.2% expected score (8,036 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 56.5% expected score (45 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 40.7% expected score (47 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (13,488 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 52.1% expected score (25,903 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 53.7% expected score (13,745 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 53.0% expected score (281 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 52.8% expected score (250 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (27,441 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (45,572 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 51.6% expected score (19,219 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 53.2% expected score (737 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 53.4% expected score (1,232 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.7% expected score (47,496 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (82,030 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (28,394 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 49.5% expected score (1,550 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 52.6% expected score (1,489 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (77,217 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.7% expected score (134,407 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (40,034 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 47.4% expected score (2,544 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 56.6% expected score (962 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 52.0% expected score (105,055 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.8% expected score (197,280 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 48.2% expected score (47,599 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.2% expected score (2,443 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 57.8% expected score (569 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 52.7% expected score (116,555 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.4% expected score (170,595 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.8% expected score (29,979 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 54.9% expected score (845 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 63.4% expected score (170 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 54.7% expected score (114,497 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.6% expected score (76,798 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 57.2% expected score (8,742 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 63.1% expected score (186 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 58.2% expected score (17 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 56.6% expected score (37,123 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.4% expected score (7,039 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 54.0% expected score (770 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 53.5% expected score (41 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, Steinitz Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a 49.5% (90% CI: 49.4%-49.6%) win rate for white, based on 1.5M rated games from Lichess.

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

The French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation performs best at 2200-2499 Elo with a 52.7% win rate for white (200K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

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

UltraBullet (53.7%) outperforms Classical (47.4%) by 6.3%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation?

The French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a sharpness score of 96.2 (very decisive), meaning 96.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

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

At 0-999 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a 50.6% (90% CI: 50.1%-51.1%) win rate for white, based on 30K Lichess games. Average game length is 28 moves with a 3.3% draw rate.

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

At 1000-1199 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a 50.2% (90% CI: 49.8%-50.5%) win rate for white, based on 53K Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.

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

At 1200-1399 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a 49.0% (90% CI: 48.7%-49.3%) win rate for white, based on 93K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 2.8% draw rate.

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

At 1400-1599 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a 48.3% (90% CI: 48.0%-48.5%) win rate for white, based on 161K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 2.8% draw rate.

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

At 1600-1799 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a 47.7% (90% CI: 47.5%-47.9%) win rate for white, based on 256K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.3% draw rate.

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

At 1800-1999 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a 48.4% (90% CI: 48.2%-48.5%) win rate for white, based on 353K Lichess games. Average game length is 34 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

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

At 2000-2199 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a 50.2% (90% CI: 50.1%-50.4%) win rate for white, based on 319K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.3% draw rate.

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

At 2200-2499 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a 52.7% (90% CI: 52.6%-52.9%) win rate for white, based on 200K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 4.7% draw rate.

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

At 2500+ Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a 52.7% (90% CI: 52.3%-53.1%) win rate for white, based on 45K Lichess games. Average game length is 40 moves with a 8.3% draw rate.

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

In UltraBullet games, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a 53.7% (90% CI: 52.5%-54.9%) win rate for white (4.8K Lichess games). Draw rate is 1.5%.

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

In Bullet games, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a 51.0% (90% CI: 50.9%-51.1%) win rate for white (545K Lichess games). Draw rate is 2.9%.

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

In Blitz games, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a 48.8% (90% CI: 48.8%-48.9%) win rate for white (756K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.2%.

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

In Rapid games, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a 47.9% (90% CI: 47.7%-48.0%) win rate for white (197K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.8%.

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

In Classical games, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation has a 47.4% (90% CI: 46.6%-48.3%) win rate for white (8.7K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.9%.

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

The French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation is statistically balanced with a 49.5% (90% CI: 49.4%-49.6%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2200-2499 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.