Caro-Kann Defense: Forgacs Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
409,096 games: White 48.0% / Draw 7.1% / Black 44.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 298,795299K | ||
| 29,88030K | ||
| 28,70129K | ||
| 16,53617K | ||
| 11,74612K | ||
| 9,1809,180 | ||
| 3,6683,668 | ||
| 2,9742,974 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.21 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... Bd6 7. Qe2+ Be7 8. Nf3 O-O 9. O-O Re8 10. Qd3 Bf8 11. Bd2
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, 53% at 2200 and up and 52% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 37K | |
| 1400–1799 | 118K | |
| 1800–2199 | 241K | |
| 2200 and up | 93K | |
| Masters, over the board | 579 |
Master games
- Abdusattorov, N. – Maghsoodloo, P.
- Ivanchuk, V. – Duda, J.
- Kasimdzhanov, R. – Maghsoodloo, P.
- Karpov, A. – Kortschnoj, V.
- Jones, G. – Howell, 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: Forgacs Variation (ECO B15, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Caro-Kann Defense: Tartakower Variation, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. Bc4 (6 moves).
In 409,096 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.0%, Black 44.8% and 7.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Bd6, in 73% 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: Forgacs Variation
The most played answer, 6…Bd6, also scores best for Black: 48.8%, with Black winning 45.1% and White 47.6% of 299K games. Of the main answers, 6…Be6 scores lowest: 45.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…Bd6.
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: Forgacs Variation is played more than three times as often as in 2016: 0.021% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.006%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.006% | 2,135 |
| 2017 | 0.008% | 4,400 |
| 2018 | 0.0094% | 7,420 |
| 2019 | 0.01% | 12,816 |
| 2020 | 0.011% | 32,109 |
| 2021 | 0.012% | 48,208 |
| 2022 | 0.016% | 60,069 |
| 2023 | 0.018% | 67,760 |
| 2024 | 0.02% | 70,497 |
| 2025 | 0.021% | 72,800 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.021% | 23,538 |
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: Forgacs Variation (B15)”. Lichess data as of 13 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/caro-kann-defense-forgacs-variation