Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation (7. Nf3 Nd7)
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7
The Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B19, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7. It is a line of the Caro-Kann Defense. White is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 189 times by this move order. White won 48%, 8% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 8. h5 (67% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.22 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 8. Bd3 Bxd3 9. Qxd3 e6 10. Bf4 Qa5+)
- ECO
- B19
- Moves
- 14 plies
- FEN
r2qkbnr/pp1nppp1/2p3bp/8/3P3P/5NN1/PPP2PP1/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 2 8- PGN
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 45 | |
| 2000+ | 144 | |
| All | 189 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 8. h5 Classical Variation, Spassky Variation | 126 (67%) | |
| 8. Bd3 | 40 (21%) | |
| 8. Bc4 | 18 (10%) | |
| 8. c3 | 3 (2%) | |
| 8. Bf4 | 2 (1%) |
Master games
137 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 41%, draw 36%, Black 23%). The strongest:
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2835) – GM So, W. (2770) 1-0 · Clutch Chess Showdown Int · 2020-06-12
- GM Levon Aronian (2767) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2728) 1/2-1/2 · 8th Norway Chess 2020 · 2020-10-08
- GM Levon Aronian (2767) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2728) 0-1 · 8th Norway Armageddon · 2020-10-08
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2773) – GM Vincent Keymer (2664) 1-0 · Chess.com Rapid Wk1 Swiss · 2022-02-12
- GM Jorden Van Foreest (2702) – GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek (2686) 1-0 · World Blitz 2021 · 2021-12-29
Search all games of the Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- malaida-annamalai (2575) – GM Fabsid (2795) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- IM nooartur (2595) – Knuspermeister2 (2713) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 2s
- FM k_zhitnik (2673) – koonta (2563) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4
Continuations
- Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Spassky Variation B19 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5
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.