French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Brodsky-Jones Variation
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. dxc5 Nc6 7. a3 Bxc5 8. Qg4 O-O 9. Nf3 f6
The French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Brodsky-Jones 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 Nc6 7. a3 Bxc5 8. Qg4 O-O 9. Nf3 f6. 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: +0.62 (Stockfish, depth 27; best line 10. Qxe6+ Kh8 11. Qxd5 Qb6 12. Qd2 fxe5)
- ECO
- C11
- Moves
- 18 plies
- FEN
r1bq1rk1/pp1n2pp/2n1pp2/2bpP3/5PQ1/P1N2N2/1PP3PP/R1B1KB1R w KQ - 0 10- PGN
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. dxc5 Nc6 7. a3 Bxc5 8. Qg4 O-O 9. Nf3 f6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
1 over-the-board game is classified under this line (White 100%, draw 0%, Black 0%). The strongest:
- GM Miguel Santos Ruiz (2596) – GM Jose Rafael Gascon Del Nogal (2442) 1-0 · TCh-ESP Div 1 2025 · 2025-08-09
Comes from
French Defense: Steinitz Variation (6. dxc5 Nc6) 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. dxc5 Nc6
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.