About this opening
French Defense: McCutcheon Variation is an opening in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings,
classified under code C12. ECO group C (C00–C99)
covers open games (1.e4 e5) and the French Defence, including the Ruy Lopez, Italian, Scotch and King's Gambit. This particular variation is reached
after 8 half-moves from the
starting position, with the move sequence 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4.
It belongs to the French Defense family. Within that family this is a sub-variation (the McCutcheon Variation line).
The opening sequence in prose form: 1.e4 e6, 2.d4 d5, 3.Nc3 Nf6, 4.Bg5 Bb4. From this position 3 named continuations are recorded in the encyclopaedia, each leading to a distinct theoretical line.
Use the interactive board above to walk through the moves position-by-position. Click any move in the navigation to step backwards, or use the keyboard arrow keys. The list of recorded continuations sits directly below the board. For statistical data — how often master-level players have reached this position, White's win-rate, draw frequency, Black's score — see the panel in the right column.
Caissly's coverage of C12 extends through every named sub-variation in this line and across all four locales (English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian). Where editorial commentary exists for a specific variation it appears as the page body; otherwise the page presents the structural data, board, and statistics as shown here.