Caro-Kann Defense: Tartakower Variation
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6
The Caro-Kann Defense: Tartakower Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO B15, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6. It is a line of the Caro-Kann Defense. White is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 11,220 times by this move order. White won 49%, 6% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 6. Nf3 (41% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.22 (Stockfish, depth 57; best line 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Ne2 Re8)
- ECO
- B15
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp3ppp/2p2p2/8/3P4/8/PPP2PPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 0 6- PGN
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1,782 | |
| 1500-1999 | 5,869 | |
| 2000+ | 3,569 | |
| All | 11,220 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. Nf3 | 4,638 (41%) | |
| 6. c3 | 2,854 (25%) | |
| 6. Bc4 Forgacs Variation | 1,428 (13%) | |
| 6. Be3 | 696 (6%) | |
| 6. Bf4 | 493 (4%) | |
| 6. Qe2+ | 351 (3%) | |
| 6. Bd3 | 310 (3%) | |
| 6. h3 | 149 (1%) |
Master games
8,710 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 39%, draw 20%, Black 41%). The strongest:
- Stockfish dev-20240728-2343f71 (3662) – LCZero 0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-61 (3631) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Balanced Lines · 2024-08-02
- GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2757) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2863) 1-0 · 8th Norway Chess 2020 · 2020-10-10
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2771) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2830) 1/2-1/2 · World Blitz 2023 · 2023-12-30
- GM So, W. (2772) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2791) 1-0 · chess.com Speed 2021 · 2021-12-09
- GM So, W. (2772) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2791) 1/2-1/2 · chess.com Speed 2021 · 2021-12-09
Search all games of the Caro-Kann Defense: Tartakower Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Tempstream (2706) – GM athena-pallada (2915) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- Tempstream (2693) – GM athena-pallada (2928) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- malosize (2737) – FM Tictoocchess (2812) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Caro-Kann Defense (3. Nc3 dxe4) 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4
Continuations
- Caro-Kann Defense: Forgacs Variation B15 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. Bc4
- Caro-Kann Defense: Tartakower Variation, Perlis Line B15 · 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Qc2 h6
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.