Caro-Kann Defense: Main Line
Chess opening · ECO B15 · 7 half-moves
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4
The Caro-Kann Defense: Main Line is reached after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4. It is Black's move in the position shown.
It branches from the Caro-Kann Defense: Modern Variation with 3… dxe4 4. Nxe4.
How often it is played
The Caro-Kann Defense: Main Line and its variations appeared in 0.30% of games — 8,958 of 3,000,000 rated games sampled from Lichess in September 2026. That makes it number 136 of the openings listed here.
Results
White won 50%, 4.5% were drawn and Black won 45%. These are games between players of every strength and time control, so they say how the opening does in practice rather than how sound it is.
What the engine thinks
Stockfish, at depth 18, evaluates the position at +0.25 — a small edge for White. Positive numbers favour White; see reading the evaluation bar.
Similar openings
The most-played alternatives — what else could have been chosen around the move where this opening begins.
| Opening | Moves | Share of games |
|---|---|---|
| Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation | 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 | 1.1% |
| Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation | 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 | 0.93% |
| Caro-Kann Defense: Hillbilly Attack | 1. e4 c6 2. Bc4 | 0.35% |
Main continuations
| Variation | Moves | Share of games |
|---|---|---|
| Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation | 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 | 0.17% |
| Caro-Kann Defense: Karpov Variation | 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 | 0.03% |
| Caro-Kann Defense: Finnish Variation | 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 h6 | 0.00% |
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