Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation, Exchange Line
1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3
The Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation, Exchange Line is a chess opening classified as ECO B11, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3. 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 868 times by this move order. White won 45%, 7% were drawn and Black won 48%. The most popular continuation is 5. Qxf3 (96% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.24 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 5. Qxf3 Nf6 6. Be2 Nxe4 7. Nxe4 dxe4)
- ECO
- B11
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
rn1qkbnr/pp2pppp/2p5/3p4/4P3/2N2b1P/PPPP1PP1/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 80 | |
| 1500-1999 | 282 | |
| 2000+ | 506 | |
| All | 868 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Qxf3 | 830 (96%) | |
| 5. gxf3 | 37 (4%) | |
| 5. exd5 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
4,591 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 37%, draw 27%, Black 36%). The strongest:
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2786) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2832) 0-1 · chess.com Speed 1m+1spm 2017 · 2018-01-03
- GM Alireza Firouzja (2777) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2835) 1-0 · Bullet Chess Losers 2023 · 2023-07-21
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2837) – GM Vasyl Ivanchuk (2769) 1-0 · World Blitz Final · 2012-07-09
- GM Veselin Topalov (2728) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2864) 0-1 · SuperUnited Rapid 2022 · 2022-07-20
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2787) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2777) 1-0 · Bullet Chess Winners 2023 · 2023-07-20
Highest-rated Lichess games
- MereseBerserkNhi (2686) – IM AlexTriapishko (2830) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- IM clinclincaja (2739) – Natah_Flo (2675) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- CM chess23time (2669) – GM gravereaper (2696) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4
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.