Caro-Kann Defense: Bronstein-Larsen Variation
The Bronstein-Larsen Variation is 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ gxf6, a line of the Caro-Kann Defense. Read the guide
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Statistics from Lichess
490,083 games: White 48.0% / Draw 6.4% / Black 45.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 223,534224K | ||
| 111,674112K | ||
| 47,52348K | ||
| 27,12827K | ||
| 23,31723K | ||
| 19,42919K | ||
| 14,23414K | ||
| 5,1055,105 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.96 White is better
Best play: 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. Be2 Nd7 8. O-O Bg7 9. Re1 O-O 10. a4 Re8
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 Black: Black scores 42% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up and 41% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 30K | |
| 1400–1799 | 72K | |
| 1800–2199 | 319K | |
| 2200 and up | 119K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,902 |
Master games
- Grandelius, N. – Li Chao2
- Adams, M. – Short, N. D.
- Rublevsky, S. – Ponomariov, R.
- Alekseev, E. – Short, N. D.
- Tiviakov, S. – Short, N. D.
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
Description
The Bronstein-Larsen Variation is 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ gxf6, a line of the Caro-Kann Defense. After White exchanges knights on f6, Black recaptures with the g-pawn instead of the e-pawn.
The idea
Black voluntarily accepts an inferior pawn structure, and in practice has to castle queenside. In return Black gets dynamic compensation, above all the open g-file for a rook. The play is unusually active by the Caro-Kann's standards.
Reputation
The variation is generally considered somewhat unsound. It takes its name from two players who used it with some success: the world championship challenger David Bronstein and the former world championship candidate Bent Larsen.
The more solid recapture is 5...exf6, the Tartakower Variation, which is regarded as sounder. Other lines after 4.Nxe4 are the Classical Variation, 4...Bf5, and the Karpov Variation, 4...Nd7.
The numbers
On Lichess White wins 48.0% of the 490,083 games and Black 45.6%. White's lead is largest under 1400, 55.4% against 39.8%; between 1800 and 2199 the results are close, 47.5% against 46.4%, and from 2200 up White leads 48.6% to 43.2%. In 1,902 master games over the board White won 41.4%, Black 23.0%, and 35.6% were drawn.
Suggest an improvement or report a mistake
How to play against the Caro-Kann Defense: Bronstein-Larsen Variation
6. c3 scores best for White: 54.1%, with White winning 50.6% and Black 42.3% of 112K games. The most played answer, 6. Nf3, scores lowest: 50.1% in 224K games. Stockfish's first choice is 6. Nf3.
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
The Caro-Kann Defense: Bronstein-Larsen Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.016% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.02% (its peak: 0.029% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.02% | 7,145 |
| 2017 | 0.026% | 14,541 |
| 2018 | 0.029% | 22,825 |
| 2019 | 0.024% | 30,341 |
| 2020 | 0.022% | 64,765 |
| 2021 | 0.018% | 71,159 |
| 2022 | 0.018% | 66,639 |
| 2023 | 0.018% | 67,698 |
| 2024 | 0.017% | 61,671 |
| 2025 | 0.016% | 57,111 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.016% | 18,058 |
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
Sources
- History and theory: adapted from the Wikipedia article Caro–Kann Defence, version of 20 October 2026, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Results: Lichess opening explorer, figures collected from September to November 2026.
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Caro-Kann Defense: Bronstein-Larsen Variation (B16)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/caro-kann-defense-bronstein-larsen-variation