Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4
The Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line is a chess opening classified as ECO B18, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4. It is a line of the Caro-Kann Defense. Black is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 621 times by this move order. White won 52%, 6% were drawn and Black won 42%. The most popular continuation is 6… h6 (85% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.23 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 6… h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. Bf4 e6 9. Bd3)
- ECO
- B18
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
rn1qkbnr/pp2pppp/2p3b1/8/3P3P/6N1/PPP2PP1/R1BQKBNR b KQkq - 0 6- PGN
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 19 | |
| 1500-1999 | 285 | |
| 2000+ | 317 | |
| All | 621 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… h6 | 525 (85%) | |
| 6… h5 | 74 (12%) | |
| 6… Nf6 | 10 (2%) | |
| 6… e6 | 6 (1%) | |
| 6… f6 | 2 (0%) | |
| 6… Nh6 | 2 (0%) | |
| 6… c5 | 1 (0%) | |
| 6… e5 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
1,032 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 37%, draw 28%, Black 35%). The strongest:
- GM Yi Wei (2706) – GM Anish Giri (2773) 1/2-1/2 · 79th Tata Steel GpA · 2017-01-19
- GM Michael Adams (2722) – GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2729) 1/2-1/2 · 1st FIDE GP London 2012 · 2012-09-22
- GM Yi Wei (2700) – GM Hao Wang (2732) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-CHN 2016 · 2016-12-03
- GM Vladimir Kramnik (2753) – GM Vladimir Fedoseev (2674) 1-0 · Titled Tue 21st Mar Late · 2023-03-21
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2782) – GM Bartosz Socko (2642) 1-0 · World Rapid 2021 · 2021-12-26
Search all games of the Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- elconceto (2839) – IM DenQ (2639) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- malaida-annamalai (2575) – GM Fabsid (2795) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- Artek_2021 (2660) – LM Lance5500 (2655) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 480 + 0s
Comes from
Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation (4. Nxe4 Bf5) 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5
Continuations
- Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation (7. Nf3 Nd7) B19 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7
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.