Caro-Kann Defense (2. d4 d5)
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5
The Caro-Kann Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO B12, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5. 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 286,771 times by this move order. White won 49%, 5% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 3. e5 (40% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.24 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6)
- ECO
- B12
- Moves
- 4 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp2pppp/2p5/3p4/3PP3/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 79,791 | |
| 1500-1999 | 152,985 | |
| 2000+ | 53,995 | |
| All | 286,771 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3. e5 Advance Variation | 114,198 (40%) | |
| 3. exd5 Exchange Variation (2… d5 3. exd5) | 84,408 (29%) | |
| 3. Nc3 Caro-Kann Defense (2… d5 3. Nc3) | 58,731 (20%) | |
| 3. Nd2 Modern Variation | 11,638 (4%) | |
| 3. f3 Maróczy Variation | 11,115 (4%) | |
| 3. Bd3 | 3,295 (1%) | |
| 3. Nf3 | 1,211 (0%) | |
| 3. c4 | 939 (0%) |
Master games
266 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 39%, draw 14%, Black 47%). The strongest:
- GM Jinshi Bai (2579) – GM Kirill Alekseenko (2625) 1-0 · CHN-RUS Summit Blitz 2018 · 2018-05-26
- GM Chithambaram VR. Aravindh (2641) – IM Volodar Murzin (2465) 1-0 · Russia Jun-Gurukul Team 2 · 2020-07-10
- GM Platon Galperin (2554) – GM Sankalp Gupta (2551) 0-1 · TCh-TUR Super League 2024 · 2024-07-14
- IM Mark Timmermans (2390) – GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac (2700) 0-1 · Titled Tue 7th Mar Late · 2023-03-07
- GM Chithambaram VR. Aravindh (2598) – IM Raunak Sadhwani (2482) 1-0 · 18th Asian Continental · 2019-06-14
Search all games of the Caro-Kann Defense and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Nana_jede_cevape (2896) – GM gmbrewchess (2968) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- Nana_jede_cevape (2850) – GM gmbrewchess (2991) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- Nana_jede_cevape (2904) – IM Kostik_Mostik (2896) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Caro-Kann Defense (1… c6 2. d4) 1. e4 c6 2. d4
Continuations
- Caro-Kann Defense (2… d5 3. Nc3) B15 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3
- Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation B12 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5
- Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation (2… d5 3. exd5) B13 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5
- Caro-Kann Defense: Maróczy Variation B12 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3
- Caro-Kann Defense: Mieses Gambit B12 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Be3
- Caro-Kann Defense: Modern Variation B12 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2
- Caro-Kann Defense: Ulysses Gambit B12 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Ng5
- Caro-Kann Defense: Mieses Attack, Landau Gambit B12 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Bd3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. e6
More Caro-Kann Defense lines (all)
- Caro-Kann Defense (1. e4 c6) B10
- Caro-Kann Defense (1… c6 2. Nc3) B10
- Caro-Kann Defense (2. Nc3 d5) B10
- Caro-Kann Defense: Accelerated Panov Attack (1… c6 2. c4) B10
- Caro-Kann Defense: Accelerated Panov Attack (2. c4 d5) B10
- Caro-Kann Defense: Accelerated Panov Attack, Modern Variation B10
- Caro-Kann Defense: Accelerated Panov Attack, Open Variation B10
- Caro-Kann Defense: Accelerated Panov Attack, Pseudo-Scandinavian B10
- Caro-Kann Defense: Accelerated Panov Attack, Van Weersel Attack B10
- Caro-Kann Defense: Apocalypse Attack B10
- Caro-Kann Defense: Breyer Variation B10
- Caro-Kann Defense: Breyer Variation, Stein Attack B10
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.