Chess opening · ECO C00

French Defense: Knight Variation

The French Defense: Knight Variation starts 1. e4 e6 2. Nf3. It ranks #28 of the 174 openings on this site by how often rated players on Lichess reach it.

The position after 1. e4 e6 2. Nf3. Black to move.

Move by move

  1. 1. e4White pushes the e-pawn two squares to e4, staking a claim in the center.
  2. 1... e6Black advances the e-pawn to e6.
  3. 2. Nf3White develops the kingside knight to f3.

What players choose next, by rating

The three most common Black moves from this position in rated Lichess games, grouped by the rating of the player making the move. d5 is the most popular next move in every rating band.

RatingMost commonSecondThird
Under 1200d5 36%Nf6 11%Nc6 8%
1200–1399d5 32%c6 10%d6 9%
1400–1599d5 44%c5 11%d6 9%
1600–1799d5 55%c5 13%b6 6%
1800–1999d5 66%c5 13%b6 5%
2000 and upd5 80%c5 12%c6 3%

Related openings

French DefenseThe line this one grows from

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