Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation, Retreat Line
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Statistics from Lichess
291,320 games: White 48.1% / Draw 4.8% / Black 47.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 120,673121K | ||
| 93,19593K | ||
| 30,48430K | ||
| 28,64429K | ||
| 10,53311K | ||
| 2,9282,928 | ||
| 1,5511,551 | ||
| 1,1651,165 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 21, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.86 White is better
Best play: 5. exd5 cxd5 6. g4 Bg6 7. Ne5 Nc6 8. d4 f6 9. Nxg6 hxg6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for Black: Black scores 53% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up and 50% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 62K | |
| 1400–1799 | 114K | |
| 1800–2199 | 167K | |
| 2200 and up | 61K | |
| Masters, over the board | 537 |
Master games
- Nakamura, H. – Grischuk, A.
- Nakamura, H. – Ding, L.
- Adams, M. – Navara, D.
- Short, N. D. – Khalifman, A.
- Short, N. D. – Postny, E.
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, Retreat Line (ECO B11, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation, reached after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bh5 (4 moves).
In 291,320 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.1%, Black 47.1% and 4.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. g4, in 41% 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: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation, Retreat Line
5. exd5 scores best for White: 51.9%, with White winning 49.4% and Black 45.6% of 93K games. The most played, 5. g4, scores 49.8% in 121K games, and 5. Be2 scores lowest: 49.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. exd5.
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, Retreat Line has gained ground since 2016: 0.011% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0068%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0068% | 2,431 |
| 2017 | 0.0094% | 5,159 |
| 2018 | 0.011% | 8,783 |
| 2019 | 0.011% | 13,971 |
| 2020 | 0.011% | 31,621 |
| 2021 | 0.011% | 41,969 |
| 2022 | 0.012% | 44,264 |
| 2023 | 0.012% | 44,956 |
| 2024 | 0.012% | 41,861 |
| 2025 | 0.011% | 39,530 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.011% | 12,131 |
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: Two Knights Attack, Mindeno Variation, Retreat Line (B11)”. Lichess data as of 21 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/caro-kann-defense-two-knights-attack-mindeno-variation-retreat-line