Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation 4. Nf3 Nc6
Also known as Exchange Caro-Kann
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Statistics from Lichess
8,110,180 games: White 44.4% / Draw 5.5% / Black 50.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,743,7321.7M | ||
| 1,611,8861.6M | ||
| 1,334,8271.3M | ||
| 1,064,3121.1M | ||
| 935,365935K | ||
| 522,240522K | ||
| 337,621338K | ||
| 198,257198K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.13 The position is about equal
Best play: 5. c3 a6 6. Bd3 Bg4 7. Bf4 e6 8. O-O Bd6 9. Bxd6 Qxd6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 50% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up and 52% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1.4M | |
| 1400–1799 | 4.5M | |
| 1800–2199 | 5M | |
| 2200 and up | 409K | |
| Masters, over the board | 467 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Mamedyarov, S.
- Karjakin, S. – Mamedyarov, S.
- Carlsen, M. – Vidit, S.
- Carlsen, M. – Topalov, V.
- So, W. – Vidit, 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: 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. Nf3 Nc6 (4 moves).
In 8,110,180 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.4%, Black 50.1% and 5.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Bb5, in 22% 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…Nc6
5. c4 scores best for White: 51.6%, with White winning 48.9% and Black 45.6% of 935K games. The most played, 5. Bb5, scores 45.8% in 1.7M games, and 5. Nc3 scores lowest: 42.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. c3.
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
This line is played more than twice as often as in 2016: 0.39% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.15%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.15% | 54,347 |
| 2017 | 0.19% | 104,511 |
| 2018 | 0.21% | 168,488 |
| 2019 | 0.22% | 273,043 |
| 2020 | 0.23% | 661,538 |
| 2021 | 0.26% | 1,026,493 |
| 2022 | 0.31% | 1,181,101 |
| 2023 | 0.35% | 1,320,360 |
| 2024 | 0.38% | 1,362,832 |
| 2025 | 0.39% | 1,364,223 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.41% | 447,792 |
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 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/caro-kann-defense-exchange-variation-4