Semi-Open · a defense for Black
French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Dr. Olland Variation
11/11
1.e4e62.d4d53.Nc3Nf64.Bg5Bb45.e5h66.Bc1
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Dr. Olland Variation7.5k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
76%5.6k45%
16%1.2k37%
7.7%57542%
0.2%1650%
0.1%729%
0%10%
0%1100%
Famous games in this line361 master games
Topalov, Veselin (2752) – Vallejo Pons, Francisco (2697)Bruzon Batista, Lazaro (2668) – Short, Nigel D (2685)Popov, Ivan1 (2599) – Vallejo Pons, Francisco (2705)Duda, J. (2671) – Anton Guijarro, D. (2627)Savchenko, Boris (2648) – Volkov, Sergey (2632)Naiditsch, A. (2702) – Buhmann, R. (2564)Kokarev, Dm (2606) – Morozevich, A. (2659)Fressinet, Laurent (2650) – Kortschnoj, Viktor (2610)Heroes of this opening Vallejo Pons, Francisco · Short, Nigel D · Duda, J. · Savchenko, Boris
- Family
- French Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- C12
- Line
- 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. Bc1
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From the archives
Paris challenged London by correspondence in January 1834; the match took about two years, Paris met 1.e4 with 1...e6, and Paris won. The defence has carried the name ever since. Botvinnik and Korchnoi built careers on its cramped-then-counterpunch character: concede space, then break with ...c5 or ...f6 at the right moment.
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