Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation 3…cxd5 4. Bf4
Also known as Exchange Caro-Kann
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Statistics from Lichess
573,999 games: White 48.0% / Draw 6.0% / Black 46.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 366,820367K | ||
| 104,238104K | ||
| 45,43245K | ||
| 25,56026K | ||
| 12,46612K | ||
| 10,40910K | ||
| 3,0993,099 | ||
| 2,5582,558 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.05 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... Nc6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. c3 e6 7. Be2 Bd6 8. Bxd6 Qxd6 9. O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 51% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up and 45% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 146K | |
| 1400–1799 | 318K | |
| 1800–2199 | 320K | |
| 2200 and up | 72K | |
| Masters, over the board | 606 |
Master games
- Duda, J. – Artemiev, V.
- Giri, A. – Artemiev, V.
- Morozevich, A. – Anand, V.
- Artemiev, V. – Fedoseev, V.
- Duda, J. – Van Foreest, J.
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: Exchange Variation (ECO B13, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bf4 (4 moves).
In 573,999 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.0%, Black 46.0% and 6.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Nc6, in 64% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 4. Bf4
The most played answer, 4…Nc6, also scores best for Black: 49.7%, with Black winning 46.7% and White 47.2% of 367K games. Of the main answers, 4…Nf6 scores lowest: 48.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 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
This line is played more than three times as often as in 2016: 0.026% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0082%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0082% | 2,947 |
| 2017 | 0.013% | 6,925 |
| 2018 | 0.015% | 12,138 |
| 2019 | 0.016% | 20,309 |
| 2020 | 0.019% | 54,825 |
| 2021 | 0.022% | 85,575 |
| 2022 | 0.023% | 86,933 |
| 2023 | 0.024% | 89,051 |
| 2024 | 0.025% | 88,975 |
| 2025 | 0.026% | 88,575 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.027% | 29,141 |
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: Exchange Variation (B13)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/caro-kann-defense-exchange-variation-3