Opening family
Caro-Kann Defense Lines and Variations
The Caro-Kann Defense family contains 107 named lines in this opening book, spanning ECO B10 to B19. Use this page as the map, then open individual lines for exact move orders and diagrams.
How to study this family
White
White gets space and easy development, but must prove an advantage against Black’s sturdy pawn structure.
Black
Black supports ...d5 with ...c6, aiming for a sound center and a reliable route for the light-squared bishop.
Start with the shortest line, then branch to the variations that change the pawn structure or tactical target. Memorizing every branch before understanding the family plan is usually wasted work.
Main named lines
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense: Accelerated Panov Attack
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense: Breyer Variation
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense: Euwe Attack
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense: Hillbilly Attack
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense: Labahn Attack
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense: Spike Variation
- B12 · Caro-Kann Defense
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense: Accelerated Panov Attack
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense: Accelerated Panov Attack, Open Variation
- B12 · Caro-Kann Defense
- B12 · Caro-Kann Defense: De Bruycker Defense
- B12 · Caro-Kann Defense: Masi Variation
- B12 · Caro-Kann Defense: Massachusetts Defense
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense: Endgame Offer
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense: Goldman Variation
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense: Labahn Attack, Double Gambit
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense: Labahn Attack, Polish Variation
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense: St. Patrick's Attack
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense: Toikkanen Gambit
- B10 · Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack
- B12 · Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation
Deep theory branches
- 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bd2 Ngf6 12. O-O-O Be7 — Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Lobron System
- 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Ngf6 11. Bd2 e6 12. O-O-O Bd6 — Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Seirawan Variation
- 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Ng5 Ngf6 6. Bd3 e6 7. N1f3 Bd6 8. Qe2 h6 9. Ne4 Nxe4 10. Qxe4 — Caro-Kann Defense: Karpov Variation, Modern Main Line
- 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Qc2 h6 — Caro-Kann Defense: Tartakower Variation, Perlis Line
- 1. e4 c6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 g6 4. Ngf3 Bg7 5. g3 e5 6. Bg2 Ne7 7. O-O O-O 8. b4 — Caro-Kann Defense: Breyer Variation, Stein Attack
- 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Bc4 Ngf6 6. Ng5 e6 7. Qe2 Nb6 8. Bb3 — Caro-Kann Defense: Karpov Variation, Smyslov Variation, Main Line
- 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 — Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Spassky Variation
- 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 dxc4 7. d5 Na5 — Caro-Kann Defense: Panov-Botvinnik, Herzog Defense
- 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Bc4 Ngf6 6. Ng5 e6 7. Qe2 Nb6 — Caro-Kann Defense: Karpov Variation, Smyslov Variation
- 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 — Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation
- 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nc3 e6 5. g4 Bg6 6. Nge2 c5 7. h4 — Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Van der Wiel Attack
- 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng5 Bg6 6. N1f3 h6 7. Ne6 — Caro-Kann Defense: Martian Gambit
- 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 — Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack, Modern Defense, Carlsbad Line
- 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 Qa5 — Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack, Modern Defense, Czerniak Line
- 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 — Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack, Modern Defense, Mieses Line
- 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 Qb6 — Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack, Modern Defense, Reifir-Spielmann Line