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French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation

7.6K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Tough Sell
White Expected Score45.8%Range (90% confident): 44.8% – 46.7%Based on 7.6K games
0%45.8%100%
Range (90% confident): 44.8% – 46.7%
Outcome Distribution
43.0%5.4%51.5%
Win
Draw
Loss
6.exf6
French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation
Analyzen=7.6K
Avg Length35 moves
Sharpness95%
Draw Rate5.4%

What is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation has a 45.8% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 44.8% and 46.7%), based on 7.6K Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Declines with rating: 54% → 49%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 53.8% win rate (5 games)
  • 1000-1199: 31.8% win rate (41 games)
  • 1200-1399: 59.0% win rate (118 games)
  • 1400-1599: 50.5% win rate (350 games)
  • 1600-1799: 45.2% win rate (849 games)
  • 1800-1999: 40.5% win rate (1,993 games)
  • 2000-2199: 41.6% win rate (2,449 games)
  • 2200-2499: 43.7% win rate (1,573 games)
  • 2500+: 49.2% win rate (209 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in Bullet (44%), worst in Classical (33%)

Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • Bullet: 44.0% win rate (1,985 games)
  • Blitz: 42.7% win rate (4,723 games)
  • Rapid: 42.9% win rate (834 games)
  • Classical: 33.3% win rate (45 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, Bullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 27.8% expected score (12 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 36.7% expected score (21 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 39.5% expected score (8 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.8% expected score (25 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 62.5% expected score (75 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 68.0% expected score (18 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 45.0% expected score (68 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.3% expected score (215 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 59.5% expected score (62 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 65.4% expected score (5 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 46.8% expected score (169 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 47.4% expected score (537 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 48.9% expected score (132 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 45.1% expected score (379 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 42.9% expected score (1,331 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 39.9% expected score (264 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 35.4% expected score (19 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 44.2% expected score (520 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 44.5% expected score (1,654 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 45.4% expected score (266 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 45.2% expected score (9 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 45.7% expected score (654 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 48.8% expected score (838 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 45.7% expected score (80 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.9% expected score (155 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 49.1% expected score (51 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 72.3% expected score (3 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: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation win rate?

The French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation has a 43.0% (90% CI: 42.1%-44.0%) win rate for white, based on 7.6K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation perform best?

The French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation performs best at 1200-1399 Elo with a 59.0% win rate for white (118 games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation better in blitz or rapid?

Bullet (44.0%) outperforms Rapid (42.9%) by 1.1%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation?

The French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation has a sharpness score of 94.6 (decisive), meaning 94.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

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

At 1200-1399 Elo, the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation has a 59.0% (90% CI: 51.5%-66.3%) win rate for white, based on 118 Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 5.4% draw rate.

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

At 1400-1599 Elo, the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation has a 50.5% (90% CI: 46.1%-54.9%) win rate for white, based on 350 Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.8% draw rate.

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

At 1600-1799 Elo, the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation has a 45.2% (90% CI: 42.4%-48.0%) win rate for white, based on 849 Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 4.1% draw rate.

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

At 1800-1999 Elo, the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation has a 40.5% (90% CI: 38.7%-42.3%) win rate for white, based on 2.0K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 4.4% draw rate.

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

At 2000-2199 Elo, the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation has a 41.6% (90% CI: 40.0%-43.2%) win rate for white, based on 2.4K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 5.8% draw rate.

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

At 2200-2499 Elo, the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation has a 43.7% (90% CI: 41.7%-45.8%) win rate for white, based on 1.6K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 7.3% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation has a 49.2% (90% CI: 43.5%-54.8%) win rate for white, based on 209 Lichess games. Average game length is 42 moves with a 7.8% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation has a 44.0% (90% CI: 42.1%-45.8%) win rate for white (2.0K Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.6%.

What is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation has a 42.7% (90% CI: 41.6%-43.9%) win rate for white (4.7K Lichess games). Draw rate is 6.1%.

What is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation has a 42.9% (90% CI: 40.1%-45.7%) win rate for white (834 Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.9%.

Is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation a good opening?

The French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation is slightly favors black with a 43.0% (90% CI: 42.1%-44.0%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 1200-1399 Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.