Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation (3. exd5 cxd5)
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5
The Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B13, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5. It is a line of the Caro-Kann Defense. White is to move. 5 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 82,787 times by this move order. White won 48%, 5% were drawn and Black won 47%. The most popular continuation is 4. Nf3 (28% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.18 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 4. Nf3 Bf5 5. Bb5+ Nc6 6. c4 e6)
- ECO
- B13
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp2pppp/8/3p4/3P4/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 18,377 | |
| 1500-1999 | 47,796 | |
| 2000+ | 16,614 | |
| All | 82,787 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. Nf3 | 22,975 (28%) | |
| 4. Bd3 | 19,347 (23%) | |
| 4. c4 Panov Attack (3… cxd5 4. c4) | 16,141 (19%) | |
| 4. Nc3 | 15,569 (19%) | |
| 4. Bb5+ | 2,524 (3%) | |
| 4. c3 | 2,377 (3%) | |
| 4. h3 | 1,067 (1%) | |
| 4. Bf4 Exchange Variation (3… cxd5 4. Bf4) | 932 (1%) |
Master games
15,189 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 38%, draw 21%, Black 41%). The strongest:
- Fire 021819 (3752) – Houdini 6.03 (3854) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2020-03-22
- Houdini 6.03 (3854) – Fire 021819 (3752) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2020-03-20
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2847) – GM Liren Ding (2799) 1/2-1/2 · Goldmoney Asian Rapid KO · 2021-07-03
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2832) – GM So, W. (2815) 0-1 · chess.com Speed 3m+2spm 2017 · 2017-11-18
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2832) – GM So, W. (2815) 0-1 · chess.com Speed 3m+2spm 2017 · 2017-11-18
Search all games of the Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Nana_jede_cevape (2904) – IM Kostik_Mostik (2896) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- GM gmbrewchess (2992) – FM juancruzariasTDF (2751) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- vistagusta (2838) – IM Kostik_Mostik (2873) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation (2… d5 3. exd5) 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5
Continuations
- Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation (3… cxd5 4. Bf4) B13 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bf4
- Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation, Bulla Attack B13 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. g4
- Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack (3… cxd5 4. c4) B13 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4
- Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation (4. Nf3 Nc6) B13 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Nf3 Nc6
- Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation, Rubinstein Variation B13 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bf4
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.