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French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line

206K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

51.6%

45%55%
Floor51.4%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 51.8%.

Measured over 206K games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for White

Draw 5.8 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 206K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
206K
Best context
56.2% at 2200-2499 Rapid
Worst context
46.0% at 1200-1399 Bullet
Average game length
35 moves
Games that end decisively
94.2%
Draws
5.8%

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: 41.9% at 0-999, 55.8% at 2500+.

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: 46.8% expected score (259 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 48.8% expected score (318 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 42.1% expected score (100 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 47.0% expected score (1,070 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 48.3% expected score (1,193 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (326 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 56.7% expected score (6 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (4 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 46.0% expected score (2,173 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (3,715 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 55.9% expected score (955 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 61.5% expected score (29 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 38.6% expected score (16 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 49.2% expected score (4,066 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (8,353 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 54.2% expected score (2,605 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 63.8% expected score (100 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (10 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 49.0% expected score (5,661 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.6% expected score (15,426 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 53.2% expected score (4,527 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 50.5% expected score (373 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (8,277 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (25,646 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.8% expected score (6,518 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 52.0% expected score (537 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (10,361 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.0% expected score (33,146 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 53.0% expected score (7,118 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 55.4% expected score (344 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 51.6% expected score (13,931 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (31,069 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.2% expected score (3,905 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 62.9% expected score (111 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.1% expected score (7,463 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 55.0% expected score (5,591 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 55.7% expected score (351 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 58.5% expected score (28 games)

Related Openings

Parent
French Defense
45.7%
Variations (5)
French Defense: Knight Variation
48.3%
French Defense: Exchange Variation
47.7%
French Defense: Normal Variation
50.3%
French Defense: Advance Variation
48.0%
French Defense: Queen's Knight
48.5%
Analyze French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line scores 51.6% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 51.4% and 51.8% — from 206K 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
206K+ 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, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line win rate?

Playing the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line, White wins 48.7%, draws 5.8% and loses 45.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 206K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line perform best?

The French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 54.5% (13K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 51.6% in Blitz (124K games) against 53.7% in Rapid (26K games).

How sharp is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line?

The French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line has a sharpness score of 94.2 (decisive), meaning 94.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 35 moves.

What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 45.5%, draws 2.7% and loses 51.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.9%. It rests on 678 Lichess games, which average 25 moves.

What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 47.3%, draws 2.0% and loses 50.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.3%. It rests on 2.6K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 48.6%, draws 2.5% and loses 48.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 6.9K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 49.5%, draws 3.0% and loses 47.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 15K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 49.3%, draws 3.9% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.3%. It rests on 26K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 48.6%, draws 4.8% and loses 46.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 41K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 48.1%, draws 5.9% and loses 46.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.0%. It rests on 51K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 49.0%, draws 7.6% and loses 43.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 49K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 49.1%, draws 10.8% and loses 40.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 43 moves.

What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 48.3%, draws 4.1% and loses 47.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 53K Lichess games.

What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 48.5%, draws 6.2% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.6%. It rests on 124K Lichess games.

What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 50.3%, draws 6.8% and loses 43.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.7%. It rests on 26K Lichess games.

What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 49.5%, draws 9.6% and loses 40.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.3%. It rests on 1.5K Lichess games.

Is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line a good opening?

The French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 48.7% 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.