C12 · Semi-Open · a defense for Black
French Defense: McCutcheon Variation
8/8
1.e4e62.d4d53.Nc3Nf64.Bg5Bb4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
French Defense: McCutcheon Variation342k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
3%10k49%
2.1%7.2k46%
1.6%5.4k52%
0.3%96046%
0.2%78149%
0.2%77447%
0.2%62548%
Famous games in this line4.1k master games
Anand, Viswanathan (2817) – Nakamura, Hikaru (2774)Anand, Viswanathan (2800) – Shirov, Alexei (2749)Anand, Viswanathan (2779) – Morozevich, Alexander (2741)Gashimov, Vugar (2746) – Nakamura, Hikaru (2774)Kasparov, Garry (2851) – Kortschnoj, Viktor (2659)Shirov, Alexei (2755) – Ivanchuk, Vassily (2751)Firouzja, Alireza (2751) – Praggnanandhaa, R. (2749)Leko, Peter (2749) – Morozevich, Alexander (2741)- 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
Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Advance VariationC12 5.e5 · 7 deeper linesFrench Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Exchange VariationC12 5.exd5 · 1 deeper lineFrench Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin VariationC12 5.e5 h6 6.exf6 · 1 deeper lineFrench Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Janowski VariationC12 5.e5 h6 6.Be3
Nearby lines in the family
From the archives
In 1834 the city of Paris beat the city of London in a correspondence match opening with 1...e6, and the defense 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.
Study this opening