Sicilian Defense: French Variation
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6
The Sicilian Defense: French Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B40, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move. 8 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 112,202 times by this move order. White won 47%, 5% were drawn and Black won 48%. The most popular continuation is 3. d4 (51% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.28 (Stockfish, depth 57; best line 3. Nc3 a6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nc6)
- ECO
- B40
- Moves
- 4 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp1p1ppp/4p3/2p5/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 20,754 | |
| 1500-1999 | 61,663 | |
| 2000+ | 29,785 | |
| All | 112,202 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3. d4 | 56,778 (51%) | |
| 3. c3 Delayed Alapin Variation, with e6 | 15,108 (13%) | |
| 3. Bc4 | 14,166 (13%) | |
| 3. Nc3 | 10,534 (9%) | |
| 3. c4 Kramnik Variation | 3,000 (3%) | |
| 3. d3 | 2,988 (3%) | |
| 3. g3 | 1,692 (2%) | |
| 3. e5 | 1,574 (1%) |
Master games
21,072 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 41%, draw 21%, Black 38%). The strongest:
- Obsidiandev-16.14 (3645) – LCZero0.31-dag-4d98c58-BT5-3700000 (3692) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 28 Premier 2025 · 2025-08-03
- LCZero0.31-dag-4d98c58-BT5-3700000 (3692) – Obsidiandev-16.14 (3645) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 28 Premier 2025 · 2025-08-03
- Berserk20250622 (3650) – Integral7.0.0-dev-0d55bc02 (3576) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 28 Premier 2025 · 2025-08-23
- Integral7.0.0-dev-0d55bc02 (3576) – Berserk20250622 (3650) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 28 Premier 2025 · 2025-08-23
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2863) – GM Viswanathan Anand (2792) 1/2-1/2 · WCh 2014 · 2014-11-12
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: French Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Sunrise34 (2901) – GM Dr_Tiger (2955) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- Sunrise34 (2849) – FM Guary1 (2902) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- puziko52 (2852) – FM Guary1 (2885) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense (1… c5 2. Nf3) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with e6 B40 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3
- Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Westerinen Attack B40 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. b3
- Sicilian Defense: Kramnik Variation B40 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4
- Sicilian Defense: Wing Gambit Deferred B40 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. b4
- Sicilian Defense: Drazic Variation B40 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 a6
- Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Open B40 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4
- Sicilian Defense: Marshall Counterattack B40 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 d5
- Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Wing Attack, Fianchetto Variation B40 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 a6 4. g3 b5 5. d4 cxd4 6. Nxd4
More Sicilian Defense lines (all)
- Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) B20
- Sicilian Defense: Amazon Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Brick Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack, Queen Fianchetto Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Euwe Attack, Prins Gambit B20
- Sicilian Defense: Gloria Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Grob Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Keres Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: King David's Opening B20
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.