Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,724,358 games: White 46.1% / Draw 5.8% / Black 48.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 951,177951K | ||
| 347,217347K | ||
| 224,360224K | ||
| 142,577143K | ||
| 26,59327K | ||
| 16,61317K | ||
| 7,2707,270 | ||
| 3,1973,197 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 5, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.25 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 Nf6 6. Be2 e6 7. O-O Be7 8. d4 dxe4
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 51% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up and 49% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 517K | |
| 1400–1799 | 706K | |
| 1800–2199 | 989K | |
| 2200 and up | 358K | |
| Masters, over the board | 5,176 |
Master games
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Duda, J. – Carlsen, M.
- Carlsen, M. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Vachier Lagrave, M. – Mamedyarov, S.
- Topalov, V. – Carlsen, M.
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: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation (ECO B11, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 (3 moves).
In 1,724,358 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.1%, Black 48.1% and 5.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. h3, in 55% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played are Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation, Exchange Line and Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation, Retreat Line.
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: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation
The most played answer, 4. h3, also scores best for White: 50.7%, with White winning 47.6% and Black 46.3% of 951K games. Of the main answers, 4. exd5 scores lowest: 45.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. h3.
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
The Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation is played more than twice as often as in 2016: 0.074% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.037%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.037% | 13,143 |
| 2017 | 0.052% | 28,367 |
| 2018 | 0.062% | 48,374 |
| 2019 | 0.057% | 71,382 |
| 2020 | 0.059% | 171,797 |
| 2021 | 0.06% | 233,073 |
| 2022 | 0.069% | 259,179 |
| 2023 | 0.071% | 267,999 |
| 2024 | 0.073% | 262,348 |
| 2025 | 0.074% | 257,839 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.076% | 82,849 |
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 (2)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation (B11)”. Lichess data as of 5 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/caro-kann-defense-two-knights-attack-mindeno-variation