Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack 4…Nf6 5. Nc3
Also known as Panov-Botvinnik Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
2,751,288 games: White 49.3% / Draw 6.5% / Black 44.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Modern Defense | 1,010,9971M | |
| B14 | 842,607843K | |
| Fianchetto Defense | 316,173316K | |
| 207,549208K | ||
| 158,203158K | ||
| 128,186128K | ||
| 51,10551K | ||
| 21,87622K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.18 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Be3 e6 8. c5 Be7 9. Bb5 O-O 10. h3
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 54% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up and 53% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 67K | |
| 1400–1799 | 504K | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.8M | |
| 2200 and up | 625K | |
| Masters, over the board | 12K |
Master games
- Giri, A. – Carlsen, M.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Carlsen, M.
- Radjabov, T. – Anand, V.
- Giri, A. – Grischuk, A.
- Radjabov, T. – Morozevich, A.
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: Panov Attack (ECO B13, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 (5 moves).
In 2,751,288 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.3%, Black 44.1% and 6.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Nc6, in 37% of those games.
It branches into 3 named variations; the most played are Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack, Modern Defense and Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack, Fianchetto Defense. In all, 10 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 5. Nc3
5…g6 (Fianchetto Defense) scores best for Black: 51.4%, with Black winning 47.6% and White 44.8% of 316K games. The most played, 5…Nc6, scores 48.4% in 1M games, and 5…Bf5 scores lowest: 42.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 5…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 has gained ground since 2016: 0.11% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.089%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.089% | 31,679 |
| 2017 | 0.11% | 62,352 |
| 2018 | 0.12% | 93,429 |
| 2019 | 0.11% | 138,346 |
| 2020 | 0.1% | 306,237 |
| 2021 | 0.096% | 375,237 |
| 2022 | 0.1% | 385,773 |
| 2023 | 0.11% | 409,383 |
| 2024 | 0.11% | 395,961 |
| 2025 | 0.11% | 382,628 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.11% | 124,145 |
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
Variations (3)
All 10 named lines that continue from here
- B14 Panov Attack 5 moves
- B14 Fianchetto Defense 5 moves
- B13 Modern Defense 5 moves
- B14 Fianchetto Gambit 6 moves
- B14 Main Line 6 moves
- B13 Carlsbad Line 6 moves
- B13 Czerniak Line 6 moves
- B13 Mieses Line 6 moves
- B13 Reifir-Spielmann Line 6 moves
- B13 Caro-Kann Defense: Panov-Botvinnik, Herzog Defense 7 moves
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack (B13)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/caro-kann-defense-panov-attack-2