Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation, Rubinstein Variation
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bf4
The Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation, Rubinstein Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B13, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bf4. It is a line of the Caro-Kann Defense. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 2,381 times by this move order. White won 52%, 7% were drawn and Black won 41%. The most popular continuation is 6… Bg4 (68% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.10 (Stockfish, depth 57; best line 6… Bg4 7. Qb3 Qd7 8. Nd2 e6 9. Ngf3)
- ECO
- B13
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/pp2pppp/2n2n2/3p4/3P1B2/2PB4/PP3PPP/RN1QK1NR b KQkq - 2 6- PGN
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bf4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 157 | |
| 1500-1999 | 1,163 | |
| 2000+ | 1,061 | |
| All | 2,381 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… Bg4 | 1,613 (68%) | |
| 6… e6 | 284 (12%) | |
| 6… g6 | 238 (10%) | |
| 6… Qb6 | 94 (4%) | |
| 6… a6 | 74 (3%) | |
| 6… h6 | 20 (1%) | |
| 6… Bf5 | 15 (1%) | |
| 6… Ne4 | 11 (0%) |
Master games
3,927 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 38%, draw 25%, Black 37%). The strongest:
- rofChade 2.303 (3661) – AllieStein v0.7_dev-net_14.3 (3761) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 18 Premier 2020 · 2020-05-31
- AllieStein v0.7_dev-net_14.3 (3761) – rofChade 2.303 (3661) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 18 Premier 2020 · 2020-05-27
- GM Liren Ding (2791) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2863) 1/2-1/2 · Carlsen Tour Final 2020 · 2020-08-09
- GM Liren Ding (2791) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2863) 1-0 · Carlsen Tour Final 2020 · 2020-08-09
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2832) – GM So, W. (2815) 1-0 · chess.com Speed 5m+2spm 2017 · 2017-11-18
Highest-rated Lichess games
- josedavid321 (2655) – GM athena-pallada (2928) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- Ante373 (2664) – GM Fabsid (2827) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- Alpha_777 (2792) – LeelaChess-Zero_0 (2651) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation (3. exd5 cxd5) 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5
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.