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French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation

181K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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White Expected Score52.4%Range (90% confident): 52.2% – 52.6%Based on 181K games
0%52.4%100%
Range (90% confident): 52.2% – 52.6%
Outcome Distribution
50.3%4.1%45.6%
Win
Draw
Loss
4.Bd3
French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation
Analyzen=181K
Avg Length33 moves
Sharpness96%
Draw Rate4.1%

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

Snapshot

At all ratings, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation has a 52.4% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 52.2% and 52.6%), based on 181K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 49% → 53%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 49.3% win rate (7,164 games)
  • 1000-1199: 50.6% win rate (8,294 games)
  • 1200-1399: 49.0% win rate (10,548 games)
  • 1400-1599: 48.5% win rate (16,374 games)
  • 1600-1799: 49.3% win rate (28,842 games)
  • 1800-1999: 50.0% win rate (46,700 games)
  • 2000-2199: 51.3% win rate (38,809 games)
  • 2200-2499: 52.0% win rate (20,839 games)
  • 2500+: 52.5% win rate (3,612 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Bullet (51%), worst in UltraBullet (42%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 42.1% win rate (59 games)
  • Bullet: 51.4% win rate (50,939 games)
  • Blitz: 50.4% win rate (98,953 games)
  • Rapid: 48.3% win rate (29,894 games)
  • Classical: 44.9% win rate (1,337 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: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 46.7% expected score (724 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (3,557 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 51.9% expected score (2,866 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (16 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.2% expected score (1,280 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (3,689 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 51.9% expected score (3,219 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 47.6% expected score (103 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 36.7% expected score (6 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.4% expected score (2,177 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.5% expected score (4,928 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 50.1% expected score (3,221 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 49.8% expected score (216 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 46.3% expected score (12 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.0% expected score (3,489 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.3% expected score (8,878 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 46.7% expected score (3,703 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 45.1% expected score (292 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 27.2% expected score (16 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.3% expected score (6,873 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.4% expected score (16,750 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.7% expected score (4,897 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 45.5% expected score (306 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 43.6% expected score (14 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.5% expected score (10,932 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (28,619 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 50.9% expected score (6,848 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 49.2% expected score (287 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.1% expected score (11,493 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 54.1% expected score (23,281 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (3,926 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 54.8% expected score (104 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.8% expected score (10,984 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.8% expected score (8,678 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.8% expected score (1,164 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 56.5% expected score (2,987 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.9% expected score (573 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 52.9% expected score (50 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (2 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, Swiss Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation has a 50.3% (90% CI: 50.1%-50.5%) win rate for white, based on 181K rated games from Lichess.

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

The French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation performs best at 2200-2499 Elo with a 52.0% win rate for white (21K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

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

Bullet (51.4%) outperforms UltraBullet (42.1%) by 9.3%. Choose your time control wisely.

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

The French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation has a sharpness score of 95.9 (very decisive), meaning 95.9% of games end decisively. Average game length is 33 moves.

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

At 0-999 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation has a 49.3% (90% CI: 48.4%-50.3%) win rate for white, based on 7.2K Lichess games. Average game length is 27 moves with a 4.0% draw rate.

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

At 1000-1199 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation has a 50.6% (90% CI: 49.7%-51.5%) win rate for white, based on 8.3K Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.

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

At 1200-1399 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation has a 49.0% (90% CI: 48.2%-49.8%) win rate for white, based on 11K Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 3.1% draw rate.

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

At 1400-1599 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation has a 48.5% (90% CI: 47.9%-49.2%) win rate for white, based on 16K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.

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

At 1600-1799 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation has a 49.3% (90% CI: 48.8%-49.8%) win rate for white, based on 29K Lichess games. Average game length is 31 moves with a 3.4% draw rate.

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

At 1800-1999 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation has a 50.0% (90% CI: 49.7%-50.4%) win rate for white, based on 47K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 4.2% draw rate.

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

At 2000-2199 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation has a 51.3% (90% CI: 50.9%-51.8%) win rate for white, based on 39K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 4.5% draw rate.

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

At 2200-2499 Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation has a 52.0% (90% CI: 51.4%-52.6%) win rate for white, based on 21K Lichess games. Average game length is 37 moves with a 5.5% draw rate.

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

At 2500+ Elo, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation has a 52.5% (90% CI: 51.1%-53.8%) win rate for white, based on 3.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 41 moves with a 8.4% draw rate.

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

In Bullet games, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation has a 51.4% (90% CI: 51.0%-51.7%) win rate for white (51K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.0%.

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

In Blitz games, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation has a 50.4% (90% CI: 50.1%-50.6%) win rate for white (99K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.5%.

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

In Rapid games, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation has a 48.3% (90% CI: 47.8%-48.8%) win rate for white (30K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.8%.

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

In Classical games, the French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation has a 44.9% (90% CI: 42.6%-47.1%) win rate for white (1.3K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.6%.

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

The French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation is statistically favors white with a 50.3% (90% CI: 50.1%-50.5%) 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.