Caro-Kann Defense: Main Line
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4
The Caro-Kann Defense: Main Line is a chess opening classified as ECO B15, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4. It is a line of the Caro-Kann Defense. Black is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 9,391 times by this move order. White won 51%, 5% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 4… Nf6 (54% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.28 (Stockfish, depth 58; best line 4… Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3)
- ECO
- B15
- Moves
- 7 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp2pppp/2p5/8/3PN3/8/PPP2PPP/R1BQKBNR b KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 900 | |
| 1500-1999 | 4,803 | |
| 2000+ | 3,688 | |
| All | 9,391 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4… Nf6 | 5,034 (54%) | |
| 4… Bf5 Classical Variation (4. Nxe4 Bf5) | 3,219 (34%) | |
| 4… Nd7 Karpov Variation | 896 (10%) | |
| 4… e6 | 70 (1%) | |
| 4… e5 | 58 (1%) | |
| 4… h6 Finnish Variation | 50 (1%) | |
| 4… g6 | 28 (0%) | |
| 4… f5 | 12 (0%) |
Master games
4,796 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 40%, draw 22%, Black 38%). The strongest:
- GM Peter Svidler (2756) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2839) 1/2-1/2 · 34th ECC Open 2018 · 2018-10-18
- GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2723) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2757) 1/2-1/2 · Superbet Classic TB 2025 · 2025-05-16
- GM Peter Svidler (2723) – GM Vladimir Kramnik (2753) 1/2-1/2 · Legends of Chess Prelim · 2020-07-28
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2792) – GM Jorden Van Foreest (2680) 1-0 · Chess.com RCC Wk25 Swiss · 2022-08-13
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2792) – GM Maxim Matlakov (2680) 0-1 · Smyslov Region Group Cup · 2021-08-16
Search all games of the Caro-Kann Defense: Main Line and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- winx_m (2942) – IM shuriks91 (2845) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- puziko52 (2811) – IM Kostik_Mostik (2915) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- Superstitions_Guy (2814) – IM Kostik_Mostik (2886) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Caro-Kann Defense: Modern Variation 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2
Continuations
- Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation (4. Nxe4 Bf5) B18 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5
- Caro-Kann Defense: Finnish Variation B16 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 h6
- Caro-Kann Defense: Karpov Variation B17 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7
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.