Carr Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
746,052 games: White 52.8% / Draw 4.3% / Black 42.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 356,973357K | ||
| 189,530190K | ||
| 70,44170K | ||
| 46,41546K | ||
| 38,00738K | ||
| 13,33213K | ||
| 5,9015,901 | ||
| 5,3405,340 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 9, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.68 White is slightly better
Best play: 2. d4 e6 3. Bd3 d5 4. Nc3 c5 5. exd5 exd5 6. dxc5 Nc6
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 44% under 1400, 46% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 663K | |
| 1400–1799 | 910K | |
| 1800–2199 | 303K | |
| 2200 and up | 21K | |
| Masters, over the board | 22 |
Master games
- Paravyan, D. – Ponkratov, P.
- Burke, J. M. – Jacobson, B.
- Howell, D. – Basman, M.
- Cuenca Jimenez, J. – Larino Nieto, D.
- Hebden, M. – Basman, M. J.
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
Carr Defense (ECO B00, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the King's Pawn Game, reached after 1. e4 h6 (1 move).
In 746,052 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.8%, Black 42.9% and 4.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 2. d4, in 48% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Carr Defense: Zilbermints Gambit.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Carr Defense
The most played answer, 2. d4, also scores best for White: 56.0%, with White winning 53.9% and Black 41.9% of 357K games. Of the main answers, 2. Nf3 scores lowest: 53.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 2. d4.
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 Carr Defense dipped to 0.02% of Lichess games in 2018 and has recovered since: 0.03% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.028% | 9,877 |
| 2017 | 0.022% | 12,123 |
| 2018 | 0.02% | 15,701 |
| 2019 | 0.024% | 30,524 |
| 2020 | 0.027% | 78,560 |
| 2021 | 0.029% | 112,469 |
| 2022 | 0.03% | 111,774 |
| 2023 | 0.029% | 107,800 |
| 2024 | 0.033% | 116,891 |
| 2025 | 0.03% | 104,684 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.031% | 34,185 |
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. “Carr Defense (B00)”. Lichess data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/carr-defense