Caro-Kann Defense win rate
White scored 50.2% (margin 0.3 points) in 93,312 rated games of the Caro-Kann Defense, ECO B10, played between players within 100 rating points on 1 September 2026. It ranked number 4 of 117 openings by popularity and made up 5.8% of all games.
- White wins 48.1%
- Draws 4.3%
- Black wins 47.6%
93,312 games
How often does White win in the Caro-Kann Defense?
White won 48.1% of the 93,312 games, 4.3% were drawn and Black won 47.6%. White's score of 50.2% is lower than White's score across all openings (51.9%) by 1.6 points, more than the margin of 0.3 points.
| Result | Games | Share |
|---|---|---|
| White wins | 44,883 | 48.1% |
| Draws | 4,006 | 4.3% |
| Black wins | 44,423 | 47.6% |
Does the Caro-Kann Defense score differently at different ratings?
White's score is highest at 2000 and above (52.2%) and lowest at under 1200 (49.6%). That spread of 2.5 points is larger than the two margins added together, so the score does differ between these rating bands.
Players rated 2000 and above choose the Caro-Kann Defense most often relative to their other openings, in 6.6 percent of their games.
| Rating band | Games | Share of the band | White score | Margin (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| under 1200 | 12,076 | 4.4% | 49.6% | 0.9 |
| 1200 to 1599 | 32,604 | 5.6% | 49.9% | 0.5 |
| 1600 to 1999 | 38,257 | 6.3% | 50.2% | 0.5 |
| 2000 and above | 10,375 | 6.6% | 52.2% | 0.9 |
How does the Caro-Kann Defense do in blitz, rapid and classical?
The time control changes who tends to win, because the clock matters more in faster games. Rows with fewer than 1,500 games are left out.
| Time control | Games | White score | Margin (points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blitz | 68,863 | 50.5% | 0.4 |
| Rapid | 23,833 | 49.5% | 0.6 |
What are the most played lines of the Caro-Kann Defense?
The most played named line is the Exchange Variation, with 13,252 games and a White score of 49.9%. The table lists the ten most played lines that reached 300 games; a line below that is counted in the last row.
| Line | Games | White score | Margin (points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exchange Variation | 13,252 | 49.9% | 0.8 |
| Hillbilly Attack | 6,320 | 46.2% | 1.2 |
| Advance Variation | 6,117 | 51.3% | 1.2 |
| Advance Variation, Botvinnik-Carls Defense | 5,430 | 47.2% | 1.3 |
| Advance Variation, Short Variation | 3,875 | 51.2% | 1.5 |
| Two Knights Attack | 2,808 | 52.8% | 1.8 |
| Classical Variation | 2,291 | 50.3% | 2.0 |
| Breyer Variation | 2,107 | 50.8% | 2.1 |
| Panov Attack | 1,731 | 54.5% | 2.3 |
| Tartakower Variation | 1,603 | 54.1% | 2.4 |
| Main line and less played lines | 36,117 | 49.7% | 0.5 |
How were these opening statistics measured?
Rated Blitz, Rapid and Classical games on 1 September 2026 between players within 100 rating points, banded by the lower rating. A score is wins plus half the draws, with a 95 percent margin. The hub page explains the method in full.
Frequently asked questions
What is the win rate of the Caro-Kann Defense?
White won 48.1%, drew 4.3% and lost 47.6% of 93,312 games, a White score of 50.2% with a margin of 0.3 points. These are games on Lichess on 1 September 2026.
Is the Caro-Kann Defense good for White?
At these ratings White's score was lower than White's score across all openings (51.9%) by 1.6 points, more than the margin of 0.3 points. A difference of a point or two is small, and the side that picks an opening also picks which games reach it, so the number describes what happened at these ratings and is not a ruling on the opening.
What is the most popular line of the Caro-Kann Defense?
The Exchange Variation was the most played named line, with 13,252 games, which is 14.2% of the Caro-Kann Defense games.
Sources
Related guides and tools
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- Chess opening statistics for players rated under 1200
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- Chess opening statistics for players rated 1600 to 1999
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- Book your first lesson
Last updated 2026-10-22.
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