Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack 5. Nc3 e6
Also known as Panov-Botvinnik Attack
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Statistics from Lichess
1,296,070 games: White 49.2% / Draw 6.3% / Black 44.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 786,385786K | ||
| 200,519201K | ||
| 112,834113K | ||
| 81,04481K | ||
| 31,11431K | ||
| 24,60425K | ||
| 17,59018K | ||
| 14,38714K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 3, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.17 The position is about equal
Best play: 6. Nf3 Bb4 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Bb5+ Nc6 9. O-O O-O 10. Bg5 Bxc3
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 48% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up and 46% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 44K | |
| 1400–1799 | 287K | |
| 1800–2199 | 845K | |
| 2200 and up | 249K | |
| Masters, over the board | 5,716 |
Master games
- Giri, A. – Grischuk, A.
- Radjabov, T. – Morozevich, A.
- Anand, V. – Karpov, A.
- Kamsky, G. – Karpov, A.
- Kamsky, G. – Karpov, 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 27, 2026
Overview
Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack (ECO B14, 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 e6 (5 moves).
In 1,296,070 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.2%, Black 44.5% and 6.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Nf3, in 61% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack, Main Line.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 5…e6
6. c5 scores best for White: 55.7%, with White winning 53.1% and Black 41.6% of 113K games. The most played, 6. Nf3, scores 53.1% in 786K games, and 6. Bg5 scores lowest: 49.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 6. Nf3.
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 peaked in 2018 at 0.062% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.049% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.047% | 16,851 |
| 2017 | 0.058% | 31,984 |
| 2018 | 0.062% | 48,749 |
| 2019 | 0.057% | 70,512 |
| 2020 | 0.052% | 152,690 |
| 2021 | 0.046% | 181,778 |
| 2022 | 0.048% | 181,866 |
| 2023 | 0.05% | 186,482 |
| 2024 | 0.05% | 179,538 |
| 2025 | 0.049% | 170,067 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.049% | 53,690 |
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 (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack (B14)”. Lichess data as of 3 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/caro-kann-defense-panov-attack-3