French Defense: Tarrasch Variation
714K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
54.4%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.5%.
Measured over 714K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.7 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 714K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 714K
- Best context
- 61.0% at 1200-1399 Rapid
- Worst context
- 51.6% at 0-999 Bullet
- Average game length
- 34 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.3%
- Draws
- 4.7%
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: 46.4% at 0-999, 51.4% 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
- 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 8.9% expected score (7 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 51.6% expected score (878 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 53.6% expected score (1,121 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 56.5% expected score (476 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (10 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 52.5% expected score (3,282 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 54.2% expected score (2,388 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 58.1% expected score (768 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 47.8% expected score (21 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 55.5% expected score (35 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.1% expected score (8,412 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 55.6% expected score (6,780 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 61.0% expected score (1,705 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 59.8% expected score (60 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 50.5% expected score (112 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 54.1% expected score (21,752 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 55.1% expected score (21,914 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 57.8% expected score (4,546 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 60.7% expected score (262 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.8% expected score (131 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.7% expected score (42,864 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 53.9% expected score (60,140 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 56.6% expected score (11,039 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 58.9% expected score (749 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 59.7% expected score (107 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (65,604 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 53.9% expected score (117,598 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 55.5% expected score (21,098 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 57.9% expected score (1,178 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 63.6% expected score (39 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 54.2% expected score (76,914 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 54.5% expected score (97,240 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 56.4% expected score (17,364 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 58.4% expected score (465 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 36.1% expected score (38 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 54.4% expected score (68,671 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 55.6% expected score (32,708 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 59.6% expected score (4,404 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 61.5% expected score (81 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.7% expected score (18,076 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 56.1% expected score (2,745 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 66.2% expected score (76 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (1 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation scores 54.4% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 54.3% and 54.5% — from 714K 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
- 714K+ 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: Tarrasch Variation win rate?
Playing the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, White wins 52.0%, draws 4.7% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.4%. It rests on 714K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation perform best?
The French Defense: Tarrasch Variation performs best for White at 2200-2499, with an Expected Score of 54.9% (106K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 54.4% in Blitz (343K games) against 56.6% in Rapid (61K games).
How sharp is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation?
The French Defense: Tarrasch Variation has a sharpness score of 95.3 (very decisive), meaning 95.3% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.
What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 51.9%, draws 2.7% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.3%. It rests on 2.5K Lichess games, which average 25 moves.
What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 52.7%, draws 2.2% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 6.5K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 53.7%, draws 2.3% and loses 44.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.9%. It rests on 17K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 53.5%, draws 2.8% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.9%. It rests on 49K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 52.2%, draws 3.6% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.1%. It rests on 115K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 51.6%, draws 4.5% and loses 43.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 206K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 51.9%, draws 5.2% and loses 42.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 192K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.
What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 51.9%, draws 6.0% and loses 42.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.9%. It rests on 106K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 51.3%, draws 7.1% and loses 41.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.9%. It rests on 21K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.
What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, White wins 51.0%, draws 2.2% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.1%. It rests on 480 Lichess games.
What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 52.1%, draws 3.6% and loses 44.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.9%. It rests on 306K Lichess games.
What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 51.7%, draws 5.3% and loses 43.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.4%. It rests on 343K Lichess games.
What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 53.5%, draws 6.2% and loses 40.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.6%. It rests on 61K Lichess games.
What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 54.2%, draws 8.7% and loses 37.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.6%. It rests on 2.8K Lichess games.
Is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation a good opening?
The French Defense: Tarrasch Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 52.0% of its games and loses 43.3%. It performs best at 2200-2499. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.