Caro-Kann Defense: Endgame Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
317,912 games: White 47.5% / Draw 8.6% / Black 43.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 198,840199K | ||
| 89,36889K | ||
| 7,9487,948 | ||
| 6,7916,791 | ||
| 4,7464,746 | ||
| 4,2734,273 | ||
| 3,0273,027 | ||
| 624624 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 8, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.13 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... Nf6 6. Nbd2 Nbd7 7. Ne1 a5 8. a4 h5 9. f3 g6 10. Nc4
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 42% under 1400, 61% at 2200 and up and 63% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 247K | |
| 1400–1799 | 226K | |
| 1800–2199 | 147K | |
| 2200 and up | 74K | |
| Masters, over the board | 653 |
Master games
- Giri, A. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
- Vachier Lagrave, M. – Duda, J.
- Aronian, L. – Artemiev, V.
- Duda, J. – Firouzja, A.
- Aronian, L. – Navara, 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
Overview
Caro-Kann Defense: Endgame Variation (ECO B10, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Caro-Kann Defense: Endgame Offer, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. d3 dxe4 4. dxe4 Qxd1+ 5. Kxd1 (5 moves).
In 317,912 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.5%, Black 43.9% and 8.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Bg4, in 63% 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: Endgame Variation
5…Nf6 scores best for Black: 49.9%, with Black winning 45.7% and White 45.9% of 89K games. The most played answer, 5…Bg4, scores lowest: 47.7% in 199K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 5…Nf6.
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: Endgame Variation is played more than twice as often as in 2016: 0.015% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0061%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0061% | 2,171 |
| 2017 | 0.0052% | 2,848 |
| 2018 | 0.005% | 3,894 |
| 2019 | 0.0057% | 7,095 |
| 2020 | 0.01% | 29,976 |
| 2021 | 0.012% | 45,034 |
| 2022 | 0.013% | 47,445 |
| 2023 | 0.014% | 50,948 |
| 2024 | 0.014% | 51,913 |
| 2025 | 0.015% | 52,728 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.017% | 18,297 |
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: Endgame Variation (B10)”. Lichess data as of 8 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/caro-kann-defense-endgame-variation