Caro-Kann Defense: Karpov Variation, Smyslov Variation, Main Line
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Bc4 Ngf6 6. Ng5 e6 7. Qe2 Nb6 8. Bb3
The Caro-Kann Defense: Karpov Variation, Smyslov Variation, Main Line is a chess opening classified as ECO B17, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Bc4 Ngf6 6. Ng5 e6 7. Qe2 Nb6 8. Bb3. 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 16 times by this move order. White won 44%, 0% were drawn and Black won 56%. The most popular continuation is 8… h6 (56% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 37; best line 8… h6 9. N5f3 a5 10. a4 Be7 11. c3)
- ECO
- B17
- Moves
- 15 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/pp3ppp/1np1pn2/6N1/3P4/1B6/PPP1QPPP/R1B1K1NR b KQkq - 3 8- PGN
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Bc4 Ngf6 6. Ng5 e6 7. Qe2 Nb6 8. Bb3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 3 | |
| 2000+ | 13 | |
| All | 16 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 8… h6 | 9 (56%) | |
| 8… Qxd4 | 2 (13%) | |
| 8… Be7 | 2 (13%) | |
| 8… c5 | 1 (6%) | |
| 8… a5 | 1 (6%) | |
| 8… Bd6 | 1 (6%) |
Master games
14 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 29%, draw 7%, Black 64%). The strongest:
- GM Artem Chernobay (2484) – GM Alexandre Qashashvili (2505) 1-0 · Titled Tue 29th Mar Late · 2022-03-29
- FM Florian Sandhoefner (2301) – GM Keith C Arkell (2488) 0-1 · Vienna Open 2015 · 2015-08-17
- FM Ata Secer (2360) – IM Roberto Junio Brito Molina (2401) 0-1 · Titled Tue 29th Mar Early · 2022-03-29
- FM Jomar Egoroff (2291) – IM Roberto Junio Brito Molina (2431) 0-1 · 9th Ribeira Valley Open 2013 · 2013-08-03
- FM Luismar Brito (2292) – IM Roberto Junio Brito Molina (2414) 1-0 · 79th ch-BRA 2013 · 2013-02-26
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM micfel (2431) – Sokkia (2353) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- IM micfel (2440) – Sokkia (2344) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- IM micfel (2445) – Sokkia (2338) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Caro-Kann Defense: Karpov Variation, Smyslov Variation 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Bc4 Ngf6 6. Ng5 e6 7. Qe2 Nb6
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.