French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation
38K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
51.1%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.5%.
Measured over 38K games at this level and clock.
Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.
Outcomes for White
Draw 6.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 38K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 38K
- Best context
- 59.1% at 2500+ Bullet
- Worst context
- 45.8% at 1800-1999 Bullet
- Average game length
- 38 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 93.2%
- Draws
- 6.8%
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: 36.7% at 0-999, 52.5% at 2500+.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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, Bullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 43.3% expected score (6 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 39.3% expected score (31 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 46.6% expected score (28 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (19 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 78.6% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 45.1% expected score (221 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.2% expected score (306 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (32 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 45.8% expected score (1,124 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 47.3% expected score (2,854 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 44.6% expected score (203 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (34 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.6% expected score (2,944 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (9,395 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 49.1% expected score (768 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 57.5% expected score (45 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 53.6% expected score (4,765 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.1% expected score (10,160 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 53.9% expected score (843 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 46.6% expected score (13 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 59.1% expected score (3,109 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.4% expected score (1,327 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 43.6% expected score (122 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation scores 51.1% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 50.7% and 51.5% — from 38K 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
- 38K+ 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: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation win rate?
Playing the French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation, White wins 47.7%, draws 6.8% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 38K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation perform best?
The French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 58.2% (4.6K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 50.3% in Blitz (24K games) against 50.3% in Rapid (2.0K games).
How sharp is the French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation?
The French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation has a sharpness score of 93.2 (decisive), meaning 93.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 38 moves.
What is the French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 47.4%, draws 2.9% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.9%. It rests on 565 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 43.9%, draws 5.7% and loses 50.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.8%. It rests on 4.2K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 45.3%, draws 6.3% and loses 48.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 49.3%, draws 6.5% and loses 44.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.6%. It rests on 16K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 52.9%, draws 10.6% and loses 36.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.2%. It rests on 4.6K Lichess games, which average 43 moves.
What is the French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 50.1%, draws 5.5% and loses 44.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 12K Lichess games.
What is the French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 46.8%, draws 7.0% and loses 46.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 24K Lichess games.
What is the French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 44.6%, draws 11.4% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.3%. It rests on 2.0K Lichess games.
What is the French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 48.8%, draws 12.1% and loses 39.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.9%. It rests on 102 Lichess games.
Is the French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation a good opening?
The French Defense: MacCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 47.7% of its games and loses 45.5%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.