Caro-Kann Defense: Goldman Variation
1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Qf3
The Caro-Kann Defense: Goldman Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B10, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Qf3. 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 1,379 times by this move order. White won 56%, 3% were drawn and Black won 41%. The most popular continuation is 3… dxe4 (55% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 3… d4 4. Bc4 e6 5. Nce2 b5 6. Bb3)
- ECO
- B10
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp2pppp/2p5/3p4/4P3/2N2Q2/PPPP1PPP/R1B1KBNR b KQkq - 1 3- PGN
1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Qf3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 207 | |
| 1500-1999 | 628 | |
| 2000+ | 544 | |
| All | 1,379 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… dxe4 | 753 (55%) | |
| 3… d4 | 275 (20%) | |
| 3… Nf6 | 188 (14%) | |
| 3… e6 | 97 (7%) | |
| 3… e5 | 32 (2%) | |
| 3… g6 | 7 (1%) | |
| 3… a6 | 6 (0%) | |
| 3… Nd7 | 6 (0%) |
Master games
827 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 43%, draw 18%, Black 39%). The strongest:
- GM Naroditsky, D. (2621) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2863) 0-1 · Katara Bullet Final 2020 · 2020-08-26
- GM Alireza Firouzja (2777) – GM Vincent Keymer (2701) 1-0 · Titled Tue 15th Aug Late · 2023-08-15
- GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (2713) – GM Aydin Suleymanli (2657) 1/2-1/2 · 59th Biel GMT Blitz · 2026-07-19
- GM Naroditsky, D. (2621) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2728) 1-0 · Katara Bullet Final 2020 · 2020-08-26
- GM Alireza Firouzja (2702) – GM Matthias Bluebaum (2643) 1-0 · Chess24 Banter Blitz Cup · 2020-03-25
Search all games of the Caro-Kann Defense: Goldman Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- gefuehlter_FM (2805) – CM holtchess (2572) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- Dr_Ragin (2659) – CM Mysterious-Master (2615) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- FM condansator3 (2718) – Dinobox (2549) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Caro-Kann Defense (2. Nc3 d5) 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5
More Caro-Kann Defense lines (all)
- Caro-Kann Defense (1. e4 c6) B10
- Caro-Kann Defense (1… c6 2. Nc3) 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
- Caro-Kann Defense: Dinic Gambit 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.