Caro-Kann Defense: Gurgenidze Counterattack
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 b5
The Caro-Kann Defense: Gurgenidze Counterattack is a chess opening classified as ECO B15, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 b5. It is a line of the Caro-Kann Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 157 times by this move order. White won 44%, 6% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 4. exd5 (59% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.78 (Stockfish, depth 40; best line 4. e5 b4 5. Na4 e6 6. Bd2 Nd7)
- ECO
- B15
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/p3pppp/2p5/1p1p4/3PP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 b5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 17 | |
| 1500-1999 | 64 | |
| 2000+ | 76 | |
| All | 157 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. exd5 | 92 (59%) | |
| 4. a3 | 33 (21%) | |
| 4. e5 | 12 (8%) | |
| 4. Nf3 | 7 (4%) | |
| 4. Bd3 | 5 (3%) | |
| 4. f3 | 2 (1%) | |
| 4. b4 | 2 (1%) | |
| 4. Be3 | 1 (1%) |
Master games
218 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 43%, draw 12%, Black 45%). The strongest:
- StoofvleesII d2 (3479) – Ethereal14.35 (3523) 1-0 · TCEC 26 Premier 2024 · 2024-04-25
- Ethereal14.35 (3523) – StoofvleesII d2 (3479) 1-0 · TCEC 26 Premier 2024 · 2024-04-22
- GM Artur Gabrielian (2541) – GM Denis Khismatullin (2656) 1/2-1/2 · Chigorin Memorial · 2013-10-08
- IM Savitha Shri B (2368) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2823) 1/2-1/2 · 1st 3-0 Thu 9th Jul 2026 · 2026-07-09
- IM Bogdan Belyakov (2487) – GM David W L Howell (2644) 0-1 · World Blitz 2016 · 2016-12-29
Search all games of the Caro-Kann Defense: Gurgenidze Counterattack and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- NewLifeAndRestart (2470) – Saturnus13 (2425) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- Gaganjani (2426) – Saturnus13 (2396) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- UrKnightmare22 (2489) – Geminga1 (2330) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Caro-Kann Defense (2… d5 3. Nc3) 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3
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.