Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation (2… d5 3. exd5)
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5
The Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B13, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5. 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 84,408 times by this move order. White won 48%, 5% were drawn and Black won 47%. The most popular continuation is 3… cxd5 (98% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.08 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 3… cxd5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. Bf4)
- ECO
- B13
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp2pppp/2p5/3P4/3P4/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 19,063 | |
| 1500-1999 | 48,528 | |
| 2000+ | 16,817 | |
| All | 84,408 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… cxd5 Exchange Variation (3. exd5 cxd5) | 82,787 (98%) | |
| 3… Qxd5 | 1,149 (1%) | |
| 3… Nf6 | 170 (0%) | |
| 3… c5 | 113 (0%) | |
| 3… Bf5 | 100 (0%) | |
| 3… Qa5+ | 21 (0%) | |
| 3… e6 | 19 (0%) | |
| 3… Qb6 | 9 (0%) |
Master games
136 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 39%, draw 18%, Black 43%). The strongest:
- GM Anish Giri (2774) – GM Hikaru Nakamura (2736) 0-1 · chess.com Speed 2021 · 2021-12-06
- GM Vasif Durarbayli (2627) – GM Hikaru Nakamura (2789) 0-1 · Titled Tue 26th Mar Early · 2024-03-26
- GM Mikhail Kobalia (2577) – GM Hikaru Nakamura (2768) 0-1 · Titled Tue 3rd Jan Late · 2023-01-03
- GM Vugar Rasulov (2526) – GM Hikaru Nakamura (2775) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tue 27th Jun Late · 2023-06-27
- GM Srinath Narayanan (2540) – GM Hikaru Nakamura (2736) 1-0 · 1st Abu Dhabi Super Blitz · 2020-04-15
Search all games of the Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation 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 (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
Comes from
Caro-Kann Defense (2. d4 d5) 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5
Continuations
- Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation (3. exd5 cxd5) B13 · 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.