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Analyzer

French Defense: Two Knights Variation

3.1M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Playable
White Expected Score51.4%Range (90% confident): 51.3% – 51.4%Based on 3.1M games
0%51.4%100%
Range (90% confident): 51.3% – 51.4%
Outcome Distribution
49.4%3.8%46.7%
Win
Draw
Loss
3.Nc3
French Defense: Two Knights Variation
Analyzen=3.1M
Avg Length34 moves
Sharpness96%
Draw Rate3.8%

What is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation expected score for White?

Snapshot

At all ratings, the French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a 51.4% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 51.3% and 51.4%), based on 3.1M Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 46% → 52%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 45.9% win rate (169,499 games)
  • 1000-1199: 48.1% win rate (222,541 games)
  • 1200-1399: 48.7% win rate (283,140 games)
  • 1400-1599: 48.3% win rate (368,600 games)
  • 1600-1799: 49.9% win rate (460,127 games)
  • 1800-1999: 50.0% win rate (612,712 games)
  • 2000-2199: 50.1% win rate (554,043 games)
  • 2200-2499: 50.5% win rate (365,321 games)
  • 2500+: 52.1% win rate (70,929 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (51%), worst in Classical (43%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 50.7% win rate (25,730 games)
  • Bullet: 50.0% win rate (1,610,521 games)
  • Blitz: 49.2% win rate (1,140,908 games)
  • Rapid: 47.4% win rate (317,238 games)
  • Classical: 43.4% win rate (12,515 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, UltraBullet: 46.1% expected score (609 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 47.7% expected score (44,919 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 47.8% expected score (77,551 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 47.7% expected score (46,114 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 44.6% expected score (306 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 46.5% expected score (1,495 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.3% expected score (76,631 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 49.8% expected score (90,884 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 49.1% expected score (52,252 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 45.4% expected score (1,279 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 45.9% expected score (3,347 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 50.8% expected score (117,147 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (108,660 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (51,621 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 45.4% expected score (2,365 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 47.4% expected score (5,224 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 50.7% expected score (174,977 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.1% expected score (136,125 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 46.9% expected score (48,933 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 40.4% expected score (3,341 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 54.3% expected score (6,337 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (239,306 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.6% expected score (173,787 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 50.5% expected score (38,597 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 47.4% expected score (2,100 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 54.9% expected score (5,025 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (321,954 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (242,812 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 52.3% expected score (41,040 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 52.5% expected score (1,881 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 59.0% expected score (1,993 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.6% expected score (309,468 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (212,189 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 54.0% expected score (29,298 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 53.7% expected score (1,095 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 54.0% expected score (1,214 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (262,960 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 54.7% expected score (91,778 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.9% expected score (9,226 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 62.8% expected score (143 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 56.4% expected score (486 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.0% expected score (63,159 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.4% expected score (7,122 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 61.1% expected score (157 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (5 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: Two Knights Variation PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation win rate?

The French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a 49.4% (90% CI: 49.4%-49.5%) win rate for white, based on 3.1M rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the French Defense: Two Knights Variation perform best?

The French Defense: Two Knights Variation performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 52.1% win rate for white (71K games). Win rate tends to decline at higher ratings as opponents know the theory better.

Is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation better in blitz or rapid?

UltraBullet (50.7%) outperforms Classical (43.4%) by 7.3%. Choose your time control wisely.

How sharp is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation?

The French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a sharpness score of 96.2 (very decisive), meaning 96.2% of games end decisively. Average game length is 34 moves.

What is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation win rate at 0-999 Elo?

At 0-999 Elo, the French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a 45.9% (90% CI: 45.7%-46.1%) win rate for white, based on 169K Lichess games. Average game length is 27 moves with a 3.7% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation win rate at 1000-1199 Elo?

At 1000-1199 Elo, the French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a 48.1% (90% CI: 47.9%-48.3%) win rate for white, based on 223K Lichess games. Average game length is 29 moves with a 3.3% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation win rate at 1200-1399 Elo?

At 1200-1399 Elo, the French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a 48.7% (90% CI: 48.5%-48.8%) win rate for white, based on 283K Lichess games. Average game length is 30 moves with a 3.1% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation win rate at 1400-1599 Elo?

At 1400-1599 Elo, the French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a 48.3% (90% CI: 48.2%-48.4%) win rate for white, based on 369K Lichess games. Average game length is 32 moves with a 3.0% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation win rate at 1600-1799 Elo?

At 1600-1799 Elo, the French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a 49.9% (90% CI: 49.8%-50.0%) win rate for white, based on 460K Lichess games. Average game length is 33 moves with a 3.3% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation win rate at 1800-1999 Elo?

At 1800-1999 Elo, the French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a 50.0% (90% CI: 49.9%-50.1%) win rate for white, based on 613K Lichess games. Average game length is 35 moves with a 3.9% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation win rate at 2000-2199 Elo?

At 2000-2199 Elo, the French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a 50.1% (90% CI: 50.0%-50.2%) win rate for white, based on 554K Lichess games. Average game length is 36 moves with a 4.3% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation win rate at 2200-2499 Elo?

At 2200-2499 Elo, the French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a 50.5% (90% CI: 50.4%-50.6%) win rate for white, based on 365K Lichess games. Average game length is 38 moves with a 5.1% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation win rate at 2500+ Elo?

At 2500+ Elo, the French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a 52.1% (90% CI: 51.8%-52.4%) win rate for white, based on 71K Lichess games. Average game length is 41 moves with a 6.4% draw rate.

What is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet games, the French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a 50.7% (90% CI: 50.2%-51.2%) win rate for white (26K Lichess games). Draw rate is 1.8%.

What is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet games, the French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a 50.0% (90% CI: 49.9%-50.1%) win rate for white (1.6M Lichess games). Draw rate is 3.2%.

What is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz games, the French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a 49.2% (90% CI: 49.1%-49.3%) win rate for white (1.1M Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.5%.

What is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid games, the French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a 47.4% (90% CI: 47.3%-47.6%) win rate for white (317K Lichess games). Draw rate is 4.8%.

What is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical games, the French Defense: Two Knights Variation has a 43.4% (90% CI: 42.7%-44.2%) win rate for white (13K Lichess games). Draw rate is 5.9%.

Is the French Defense: Two Knights Variation a good opening?

The French Defense: Two Knights Variation is statistically balanced with a 49.4% (90% CI: 49.4%-49.5%) win rate across all ratings. It performs best at 2500+ Elo. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.