Caro-Kann Defense: Maróczy Variation
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3
The Caro-Kann Defense: Maróczy Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B12, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3. 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 11,115 times by this move order. White won 53%, 3% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 3… dxe4 (49% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.19 (Stockfish, depth 61; best line 3… e6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bd2 Nd7 6. a3)
- ECO
- B12
- Moves
- 5 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp2pppp/2p5/3p4/3PP3/5P2/PPP3PP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq - 0 3- PGN
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 2,223 | |
| 1500-1999 | 6,179 | |
| 2000+ | 2,713 | |
| All | 11,115 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 3… dxe4 | 5,402 (49%) | |
| 3… e6 | 2,003 (18%) | |
| 3… Nf6 | 996 (9%) | |
| 3… e5 | 700 (6%) | |
| 3… g6 | 551 (5%) | |
| 3… Qb6 | 496 (4%) | |
| 3… c5 | 331 (3%) | |
| 3… Nd7 | 205 (2%) |
Master games
5,372 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 42%, draw 18%, Black 40%). The strongest:
- GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2750) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2864) 0-1 · Charity Cup KO 2022 · 2022-03-26
- GM Alireza Firouzja (2777) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2835) 0-1 · SuperUnited Blitz 2023 · 2023-07-08
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2828) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2728) 1/2-1/2 · 8th Norway Chess 2020 · 2020-10-13
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2828) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2728) 1-0 · 8th Norway Armageddon · 2020-10-13
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2782) – GM Viswanathan Anand (2754) 1/2-1/2 · SuperUnited Rapid 2023 · 2023-07-06
Search all games of the Caro-Kann Defense: Maróczy Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- TigerSiberian (2844) – JeromePanoSoler (2699) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- SmoovE1258502 (2683) – IM liczner (2747) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- KhatanbaatarGM (2731) – Natah_Flo (2698) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Caro-Kann Defense (2. d4 d5) 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5
Continuations
- Caro-Kann Defense: Maróczy Variation, Maróczy Gambit B12 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 dxe4 4. fxe4 e5 5. Nf3 exd4 6. Bc4
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.