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French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Süchting Line

245K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

49.3%

45%55%
Floor49.1%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 49.4%.

Measured over 245K 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 4.4 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 245K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
245K
Best context
53.3% at 2500+ Bullet
Worst context
45.9% at 0-999 Blitz
Average game length
34 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 · 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: 50.2% at 0-999, 55.7% 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, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 42.5% expected score (424 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 45.9% expected score (570 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 42.2% expected score (158 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 47.2% expected score (1,903 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.8% expected score (1,893 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 45.3% expected score (484 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (6 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 46.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 46.5% expected score (3,871 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 47.5% expected score (6,022 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.0% expected score (1,430 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 66.4% expected score (26 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 47.8% expected score (21 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 47.2% expected score (7,874 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 49.1% expected score (15,900 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 50.2% expected score (4,297 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 52.2% expected score (181 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 44.9% expected score (18 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 47.4% expected score (10,822 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 49.5% expected score (31,589 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 49.7% expected score (9,095 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 51.0% expected score (558 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 53.5% expected score (13 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.4% expected score (13,035 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.1% expected score (45,485 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.5% expected score (13,329 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 51.3% expected score (820 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 52.5% expected score (19 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (11,338 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 50.2% expected score (33,231 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 50.1% expected score (8,727 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 48.7% expected score (344 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 49.9% expected score (8,216 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 50.5% expected score (9,474 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 51.4% expected score (1,953 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 52.5% expected score (19 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 53.3% expected score (1,416 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 52.5% expected score (552 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 59.1% expected score (26 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 57.7% expected score (5 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, Süchting 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, Süchting Line scores 49.3% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 49.1% and 49.4% — from 245K 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
245K+ 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, Süchting Line win rate?

Playing the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Süchting Line, White wins 47.1%, draws 4.4% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.3%. It rests on 245K rated games from Lichess.

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

The French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Süchting Line performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 53.1% (2.0K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

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

For White, the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Süchting Line scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 49.5% in Blitz (145K games) against 49.8% in Rapid (39K games).

How sharp is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Süchting Line?

The French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Süchting Line has a sharpness score of 95.6 (very decisive), meaning 95.6% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

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

At 0-999, White wins 42.7%, draws 3.0% and loses 54.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 44.2%. It rests on 1.2K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

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

At 1000-1199, White wins 47.1%, draws 1.9% and loses 50.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.1%. It rests on 4.3K Lichess games, which average 27 moves.

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

At 1200-1399, White wins 46.1%, draws 2.5% and loses 51.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.4%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

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

At 1400-1599, White wins 47.2%, draws 3.2% and loses 49.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 28K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

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

At 1600-1799, White wins 47.2%, draws 3.8% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.1%. It rests on 52K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

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

At 1800-1999, White wins 46.8%, draws 4.5% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.1%. It rests on 73K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

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

At 2000-2199, White wins 47.3%, draws 5.3% and loses 47.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 54K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

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

At 2200-2499, White wins 47.4%, draws 5.9% and loses 46.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.4%. It rests on 20K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

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

At 2500+, White wins 49.3%, draws 7.6% and loses 43.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.1%. It rests on 2.0K Lichess games, which average 41 moves.

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

In Bullet, White wins 46.8%, draws 2.9% and loses 50.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.3%. It rests on 59K Lichess games.

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

In Blitz, White wins 47.2%, draws 4.6% and loses 48.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 145K Lichess games.

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

In Rapid, White wins 47.0%, draws 5.6% and loses 47.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.8%. It rests on 39K Lichess games.

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

In Classical, White wins 47.3%, draws 7.5% and loses 45.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.1%. It rests on 2.0K Lichess games.

Is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Süchting Line a good opening?

The French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Süchting Line is about level. Across all ratings, White wins 47.1% of its games and loses 48.6%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.