Caro-Kann Defense: Breyer Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
3,237,782 games: White 47.8% / Draw 5.3% / Black 46.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 2,949,4512.9M | ||
| 122,941123K | ||
| 51,11051K | ||
| 36,76537K | ||
| 32,16132K | ||
| 7,0127,012 | ||
| 6,7326,732 | ||
| 5,5255,525 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.12 The position is about equal
Best play: 2... d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. dxe4 Qxd1+ 5. Kxd1 Nf6 6. Nbd2 Nbd7 7. Ne1
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, 53% at 2200 and up and 53% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1.2M | |
| 1400–1799 | 2M | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.7M | |
| 2200 and up | 397K | |
| Masters, over the board | 2,648 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – So, W.
- Yu Yangyi – Ding Liren
- Giri, A. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
- Kramnik, V. – Leko, P.
- Yu Yangyi – Karjakin, S.
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: Breyer Variation (ECO B10, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Caro-Kann Defense, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d3 (2 moves).
In 3,237,782 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.8%, Black 46.8% 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, Caro-Kann Defense: Breyer Variation, Stein Attack.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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Popularity by year
The Caro-Kann Defense: Breyer Variation has gained ground since 2016: 0.14% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.086%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.086% | 30,762 |
| 2017 | 0.097% | 53,166 |
| 2018 | 0.11% | 85,341 |
| 2019 | 0.11% | 133,389 |
| 2020 | 0.1% | 303,161 |
| 2021 | 0.11% | 416,684 |
| 2022 | 0.13% | 473,182 |
| 2023 | 0.14% | 527,120 |
| 2024 | 0.14% | 506,328 |
| 2025 | 0.14% | 496,228 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.14% | 158,726 |
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)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Caro-Kann Defense: Breyer Variation (B10)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/caro-kann-defense-breyer-variation