Caro-Kann Defense 2. Nc3 d5
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Statistics from Lichess
8,427,437 games: White 47.0% / Draw 5.4% / Black 47.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,123,9483.1M | ||
| Two Knights Attack | 2,811,3782.8M | |
| Caro-Kann Defense | 1,023,0981M | |
| Goldman Variation | 342,060342K | |
| 304,029304K | ||
| 300,232300K | ||
| 165,214165K | ||
| 93,03293K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 5, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.35 White is slightly better
Best play: 3. d4 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O
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 worse this line does for Black: Black scores 51% under 1400, 48% at 2200 and up and 48% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 3.1M | |
| 1400–1799 | 4.7M | |
| 1800–2199 | 4.8M | |
| 2200 and up | 1M | |
| Masters, over the board | 7,795 |
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 d5 (2 moves).
In 8,427,437 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.0%, Black 47.6% and 5.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. exd5, in 37% of those games.
It branches into 4 named variations; the most played are Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack and Caro-Kann Defense: Goldman Variation. In all, 8 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 2…d5
3. Nf3 (Two Knights Attack) scores best for White: 52.9%, with White winning 49.9% and Black 44.1% of 2.8M games. The most played answer, 3. exd5, scores lowest: 45.3% in 3.1M games. Stockfish's first choice is 3. d4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
This line is played more than twice as often as in 2016: 0.4% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.18%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.18% | 65,566 |
| 2017 | 0.22% | 121,957 |
| 2018 | 0.25% | 198,280 |
| 2019 | 0.25% | 316,544 |
| 2020 | 0.25% | 744,641 |
| 2021 | 0.29% | 1,116,168 |
| 2022 | 0.33% | 1,235,640 |
| 2023 | 0.35% | 1,321,468 |
| 2024 | 0.37% | 1,334,887 |
| 2025 | 0.4% | 1,371,086 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.41% | 453,014 |
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 (4)
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Caro-Kann Defense (B10)”. Lichess data as of 5 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/caro-kann-defense-4