French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Bradford Attack Variation
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. dxc5 Bxc5 7. Qg4
The French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Bradford Attack Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C11, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. dxc5 Bxc5 7. Qg4. It is a line of the French Defense. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 12 times by this move order. White won 67%, 0% were drawn and Black won 33%. The most popular continuation is 7… O-O (50% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 36; best line 7… O-O 8. Nf3 Qb6 9. Bd3 f5 10. Qg3)
- ECO
- C11
- Moves
- 13 plies
- FEN
rnbqk2r/pp1n1ppp/4p3/2bpP3/5PQ1/2N5/PPP3PP/R1B1KBNR b KQkq - 1 7- PGN
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. dxc5 Bxc5 7. Qg4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 1 | |
| 2000+ | 11 | |
| All | 12 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 7… O-O | 6 (50%) | |
| 7… g6 | 4 (33%) | |
| 7… Qa5 | 1 (8%) | |
| 7… Qb6 | 1 (8%) |
Master games
23 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 43%, draw 18%, Black 39%). The strongest:
- FM Tikhon Popov (2283) – GM Erigaisi Arjun (2759) 0-1 · Titled Tue 18th Aug 2026 · 2026-08-18
- GM Christian Bauer (2562) – FM Dylan Viennot (2336) 1-0 · grenke Chess Open 2026 · 2026-04-05
- GM Mateusz Bartel (2573) – FM Aakash G (2300) 1/2-1/2 · Wroclaw Open A 2025 · 2025-12-14
- IM Khumoyun Begmuratov (2451) – IM Asrorjon Omonov (2353) 0-1 · 4th UZB President Open A · 2025-12-08
- IM Stavroula Tsolakidou (2455) – FM Nadya Toncheva (2320) 0-1 · 26th ch-EUR Indiv w 2026 · 2026-05-27
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM pressive (2597) – Doktor-Faustus-M28 (2458) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- macnetto (2476) – Neftegor (2470) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- darkaquaant (2094) – FM ElimChessKG (2343) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 1500 + 0s
Comes from
French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation (3… Nf6 4. e5) 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5
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.