Caro-Kann Defense 1…c6 2. Nc3
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Statistics from Lichess
9,116,166 games: White 47.3% / Draw 5.3% / Black 47.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 8,254,9888.3M | ||
| 338,342338K | ||
| 199,097199K | ||
| 103,350103K | ||
| 77,59978K | ||
| 34,50635K | ||
| 21,79922K | ||
| 18,11118K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 5, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.30 White is slightly better
Best play: 2... d5 3. d4 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for White: White scores 49% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up and 52% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 3.2M | |
| 1400–1799 | 5.1M | |
| 1800–2199 | 5.2M | |
| 2200 and up | 1.1M | |
| Masters, over the board | 7,819 |
Master games
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Carlsen, M.
- Carlsen, M. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Carlsen, M. – Grischuk, A.
- Topalov, V. – Carlsen, M.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 26, 2026
Overview
Caro-Kann Defense (ECO B10, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Caro-Kann Defense, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 (2 moves).
In 9,116,166 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.3%, Black 47.3% and 5.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 2…d5, in 91% of those games.
It continues into one named variation. In all, 9 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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Popularity by year
This line is played more than twice as often as in 2016: 0.42% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.21%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.21% | 73,545 |
| 2017 | 0.25% | 135,173 |
| 2018 | 0.28% | 220,451 |
| 2019 | 0.28% | 348,347 |
| 2020 | 0.28% | 813,898 |
| 2021 | 0.31% | 1,213,472 |
| 2022 | 0.36% | 1,335,706 |
| 2023 | 0.38% | 1,425,435 |
| 2024 | 0.4% | 1,438,305 |
| 2025 | 0.42% | 1,468,721 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.44% | 484,014 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (1)
All 9 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Caro-Kann Defense (B10)”. Lichess data as of 5 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/caro-kann-defense-2