Caro-Kann Defense: Apocalypse Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
257,813 games: White 51.6% / Draw 6.0% / Black 42.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 116,991117K | ||
| 71,78172K | ||
| 17,40117K | ||
| 14,50915K | ||
| 10,76411K | ||
| 9,1499,149 | ||
| 4,5004,500 | ||
| 3,5403,540 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.09 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... Nc6 5. d4 e6 6. Bb5 Bd7 7. Nxd7 Qxd7 8. c3 Nf6 9. Nd2
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 48% under 1400, 55% at 2200 and up and 49% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 90K | |
| 1400–1799 | 93K | |
| 1800–2199 | 131K | |
| 2200 and up | 77K | |
| Masters, over the board | 538 |
Master games
- Duda, J. – So, W.
- Shankland, S. – Ding Liren
- Karjakin, S. – Wei Yi
- Svidler, P. – Firouzja, A.
- Morozevich, A. – Bareev, E.
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: Apocalypse Attack (ECO B10, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Caro-Kann Defense, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Ne5 (4 moves).
In 257,813 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.6%, Black 42.4% and 6.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Nc6, in 45% 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: Apocalypse Attack
4…a6 scores best for Black: 48.3%, with Black winning 44.9% and White 48.3% of 17K games. The most played, 4…Nc6, scores 46.2% in 117K games, and 4…Bf5 scores lowest: 35.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 4…Nc6.
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: Apocalypse Attack has gained ground since 2016: 0.013% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0065%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0065% | 2,331 |
| 2017 | 0.0091% | 4,988 |
| 2018 | 0.01% | 7,873 |
| 2019 | 0.009% | 11,225 |
| 2020 | 0.009% | 26,350 |
| 2021 | 0.0068% | 26,464 |
| 2022 | 0.0082% | 30,613 |
| 2023 | 0.011% | 39,976 |
| 2024 | 0.012% | 43,868 |
| 2025 | 0.013% | 44,594 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.013% | 14,661 |
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: Apocalypse Attack (B10)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/caro-kann-defense-apocalypse-attack