Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Bayonet Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
1,319,432 games: White 49.9% / Draw 4.3% / Black 45.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 687,224687K | ||
| 343,762344K | ||
| 221,677222K | ||
| 42,55643K | ||
| 13,12813K | ||
| 9,3419,341 | ||
| 491491 | ||
| 260260 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.13 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... Be4 5. f3 Bg6 6. e6 fxe6 7. h4 h5 8. Bd3 Bxd3 9. Qxd3
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 White: White scores 52% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up and 56% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 163K | |
| 1400–1799 | 447K | |
| 1800–2199 | 899K | |
| 2200 and up | 132K | |
| Masters, over the board | 357 |
Master games
- Shirov, A. – Anand, V.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Anand, V.
- Vallejo Pons, F. – So, W.
- Tari, A. – Carlsen, M.
- Mamedyarov, S. – Artemiev, V.
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 27, 2026
Overview
Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Bayonet Attack (ECO B12, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. g4 (4 moves).
In 1,319,432 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.9%, Black 45.8% and 4.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Bg6, in 52% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Bayonet Attack
4…Bd7 scores best for Black: 54.1%, with Black winning 51.5% and White 43.2% of 222K games. The most played answer, 4…Bg6, scores lowest: 44.8% in 687K games. Stockfish's first choice is 4…Be4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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
The Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Bayonet Attack has stayed between 0.045% and 0.058% of Lichess games a year since 2016 (0.052% in 2025).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.045% | 15,903 |
| 2017 | 0.055% | 30,037 |
| 2018 | 0.058% | 45,315 |
| 2019 | 0.051% | 63,223 |
| 2020 | 0.046% | 133,690 |
| 2021 | 0.046% | 181,685 |
| 2022 | 0.052% | 196,740 |
| 2023 | 0.053% | 200,736 |
| 2024 | 0.054% | 192,957 |
| 2025 | 0.052% | 179,009 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.052% | 57,276 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Bayonet Attack (B12)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/caro-kann-defense-advance-variation-bayonet-attack