French Defense: Classical Variation, Frankfurt Variation
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Ng8 6. Be3 b6
The French Defense: Classical Variation, Frankfurt Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C13, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Ng8 6. Be3 b6. It is a line of the French Defense. White is to move.
This exact move order didn't appear in our sample of 12.6 million Lichess games: it's a rare line.
Engine evaluation: +0.82 (Stockfish, depth 29; best line 7. h4 h5 8. g4 g6 9. gxh5 Rxh5)
- ECO
- C13
- Moves
- 12 plies
- FEN
rnbqk1nr/p1p1bppp/1p2p3/3pP3/3P4/2N1B3/PPP2PPP/R2QKBNR w KQkq - 0 7- PGN
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Ng8 6. Be3 b6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
6 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 33%, draw 34%, Black 33%). The strongest:
- IM Roy Saptarshi (2447) – GM Marc Narciso Dublan (2536) 1/2-1/2 · 36th Barbera Open · 2013-07-07
- FM Ivan Andres Gonzalez (2311) – GM Marc Narciso Dublan (2505) 1-0 · ch-ESP Rapid 2013 · 2013-08-27
- Asier Gonzalez Pereira (2053) – GM Marc Narciso Dublan (2551) 0-1 · 36th San Sebastian Open · 2013-03-27
- IM Victor Manuel Vehi Bach (2339) – IM Jorge A. Gonzalez Rodriguez (2201) 0-1 · 21st Sant Marti Open 2019 · 2019-07-21
- FM Wagner Martins Madeira (2189) – FM Dirceu Viana (2254) 1/2-1/2 · Zonal 2.4 2017 · 2017-04-28
Comes from
French Defense: Classical Variation, Vistaneckis Variation 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Ng8
More French Defense lines (all)
- French Defense (1. e4 e6) C00
- French Defense (2. d4 d5) C00
- French Defense: Alapin Gambit C00
- French Defense: Baeuerle Gambit C00
- French Defense: Banzai-Leong Gambit C00
- French Defense: Banzai-Leong Gambit, Pinova Gambit C00
- French Defense: Bird Invitation C00
- French Defense: Carlson Gambit C00
- French Defense: Chigorin Variation C00
- French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit C00
- French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit Accepted C00
- French Defense: Franco-Hiva Gambit C00
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.