French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation
1.4K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds
46.8%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 49.0%.
Measured over 1.4K games at this level and clock.
Black comes out behind here — there are better weapons in the list.
Outcomes for Black
Draw 4.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.4K games
- Rank among the families Black can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 1.4K
- Best context
- not measured yet
- Average game length
- 35 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.6%
- Draws
- 4.4%
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 · Black score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 30.0% at 1000-1199, 43.4% 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
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 18.5% expected score (8 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 62.8% expected score (22 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 35.0% expected score (45 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 27.0% expected score (5 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 55.5% expected score (54 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.8% expected score (197 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 70.0% expected score (26 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 46.0% expected score (86 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.6% expected score (473 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 40.1% expected score (59 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 42.4% expected score (149 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 42.4% expected score (176 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 30.7% expected score (14 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 43.5% expected score (67 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 43.3% expected score (6 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation scores 46.8% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 44.6% and 49.0% — from 1.4K 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
- 1.4K+ 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: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation win rate?
Playing the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation, Black wins 44.6%, draws 4.4% and loses 51.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.8%. It rests on 1.4K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation perform best?
The French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation performs best for Black at 1800-1999, with an Expected Score of 52.9% (277 games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For Black, the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation scores higher in Blitz: an Expected Score of 47.0% in Blitz (909 games) against 44.9% in Rapid (105 games).
How sharp is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation?
The French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation has a sharpness score of 95.6 (very decisive), meaning 95.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.
What is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, Black wins 51.9%, draws 2.0% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.9%. It rests on 277 Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, Black wins 45.5%, draws 5.4% and loses 49.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.2%. It rests on 619 Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, Black wins 39.5%, draws 4.6% and loses 55.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 41.8%. It rests on 339 Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, Black wins 45.9%, draws 2.0% and loses 52.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 383 Lichess games.
What is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, Black wins 44.3%, draws 5.3% and loses 50.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.0%. It rests on 909 Lichess games.
What is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, Black wins 41.8%, draws 6.1% and loses 52.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.9%. It rests on 105 Lichess games.
Is the French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation a good opening?
The French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation is hard work for Black — it favours White. Across all ratings, Black wins 44.6% of its games and loses 51.0%. It performs best at 1800-1999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.