For White· 20 lines

Beat the Caro-Kann: Two Knights - Mindeno Variation and 3...d4 Lines (3...Bg4, 3...d4)

Let's learn the Mindeno Variation and 3...d4 Lines! Black has two tries here: 3...Bg4 and 3...d4. We have a clear plan against each one. Let's begin with 1.e4.

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Main line

Scroll the moves: the board follows.

Key lines

The free lines of this chapter, each one trainable move by move.

  1. Main Line: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 e6 6. Be2 Nf6 7. O-O Be7 8. d3 O-O 9. Bf4 Nbd7 10. e5 Ne8 11. d4
    Main Line

    … 8... O-O 9. Bf4 Nbd7 10. e5 Ne8 11. d4

  2. 3...d4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 d3 6. Nf4 c4 7. Qa4+ Bd7 8. Qxc4 Nc6 9. Nxd3
    3...d4

    … 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 d3 6. Nf4 c4 7. Qa4+ Bd7 8. Qxc4 Nc6 9. Nxd3

  3. 3...d4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 d3 6. Nf4 c4 7. Qa4+ Nc6 8. Qxc4 Nf6 9. Nxd3 e6 10. Nde5
    3...d4

    … 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 d3 6. Nf4 c4 7. Qa4+ Nc6 8. Qxc4 Nf6 9. Nxd3 e6 10. Nde5

  4. 3...d4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 d3 6. Nf4 c4 7. Qa4+ Nc6 8. Qxc4 e5 9. Nd5
    3...d4

    … 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 d3 6. Nf4 c4 7. Qa4+ Nc6 8. Qxc4 e5 9. Nd5

  5. 3...d4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 dxc3 6. bxc3 Bg4 7. Rb1 Nf6 8. Rxb7 Qc8 9. Rb1
    3...d4

    … 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 dxc3 6. bxc3 Bg4 7. Rb1 Nf6 8. Rxb7 Qc8 9. Rb1

  6. 3...d4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 dxc3 6. bxc3 Nc6 7. d4 cxd4 8. Nexd4 e6 9. Bd3
    3...d4

    … 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 dxc3 6. bxc3 Nc6 7. d4 cxd4 8. Nexd4 e6 9. Bd3

  7. 3...d4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. cxd4 cxd4 7. Qa4 d3 8. Ned4 Bd7 9. Bxd3 Ne5 10. Bb5 Nxf3+ 11. Nxf3 a6 12. Bxd7+ Qxd7 13. Qxd7+ Kxd7 14. d4
    3...d4

    … 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. cxd4 cxd4 7. Qa4 d3 8. Ned4 Bd7 9. Bxd3 Ne5 10. Bb5 Nxf3+ 11. Nxf3 a6 12. Bxd7+ Qxd7 13. Qxd7+ Kxd7 14. d4

  8. 3...d4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. cxd4 cxd4 7. Qa4 e5 8. Nxe5 Ne7 9. d3
    3...d4

    … 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. cxd4 cxd4 7. Qa4 e5 8. Nxe5 Ne7 9. d3

  9. 3...d4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. cxd4 cxd4 7. Qa4 Bd7 8. Nexd4 Ne5 9. Bb5 Nxf3+ 10. Nxf3 a6 11. Bxd7+ Qxd7 12. Qxd7+ Kxd7 13. d4
    3...d4

    … 3. Nf3 d4 4. Ne2 c5 5. c3 Nc6 6. cxd4 cxd4 7. Qa4 Bd7 8. Nexd4 Ne5 9. Bb5 Nxf3+ 10. Nxf3 a6 11. Bxd7+ Qxd7 12. Qxd7+ Kxd7 13. d4

  10. Trap: 8...Bh7, you win the queen: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bh5 5. exd5 cxd5 6. g4 Bg6 7. h4 h5 8. Ne5 Bh7 9. Bb5+ Nd7 10. Bxd7+ Qxd7 11. Nxd7 Kxd7 12. Qe2
    Trap: 8...Bh7, you win the queen

    … 4. h3 Bh5 5. exd5 cxd5 6. g4 Bg6 7. h4 h5 8. Ne5 Bh7 9. Bb5+ Nd7 10. Bxd7+ Qxd7 11. Nxd7 Kxd7 12. Qe2

  11. 4...Bh5: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bh5 5. exd5 cxd5 6. g4 Bg6 7. h4 h5 8. Ne5 Qd6 9. d4
    4...Bh5

    … 4. h3 Bh5 5. exd5 cxd5 6. g4 Bg6 7. h4 h5 8. Ne5 Qd6 9. d4

  12. 4...Bh5: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bh5 5. exd5 cxd5 6. g4 Bg6 7. h4 h6 8. Bb5+ Nc6 9. Ne5 Rc8 10. Qf3
    4...Bh5

    … 4. h3 Bh5 5. exd5 cxd5 6. g4 Bg6 7. h4 h6 8. Bb5+ Nc6 9. Ne5 Rc8 10. Qf3

  13. 4...Bh5: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bh5 5. exd5 cxd5 6. g4 Bg6 7. h4 h6 8. Bb5+ Nc6 9. Ne5 Qc7 10. d4 e6 11. Qe2
    4...Bh5

    … 4. h3 Bh5 5. exd5 cxd5 6. g4 Bg6 7. h4 h6 8. Bb5+ Nc6 9. Ne5 Qc7 10. d4 e6 11. Qe2

  14. 4...Bh5: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bh5 5. exd5 cxd5 6. g4 Bg6 7. h4 h6 8. Bb5+ Nc6 9. Ne5 Qd6 10. d4
    4...Bh5

    … 4. h3 Bh5 5. exd5 cxd5 6. g4 Bg6 7. h4 h6 8. Bb5+ Nc6 9. Ne5 Qd6 10. d4

  15. 6...Nd7: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 e6 6. Be2 Nd7 7. d4 dxe4 8. Nxe4 Ngf6 9. O-O Be7 10. c4
    6...Nd7

    … 6. Be2 Nd7 7. d4 dxe4 8. Nxe4 Ngf6 9. O-O Be7 10. c4

  16. 6...Nd7: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 e6 6. Be2 Nd7 7. d4 dxe4 8. Nxe4 Ngf6 9. O-O Nxe4 10. Qxe4 Nf6 11. Qd3 Bd6 12. c3
    6...Nd7

    … 6. Be2 Nd7 7. d4 dxe4 8. Nxe4 Ngf6 9. O-O Nxe4 10. Qxe4 Nf6 11. Qd3 Bd6 12. c3

  17. 6...Nd7: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 e6 6. Be2 Nd7 7. d4 dxe4 8. Nxe4 Ngf6 9. O-O Nxe4 10. Qxe4 Nf6 11. Qd3 Be7 12. c3
    6...Nd7

    … 6. Be2 Nd7 7. d4 dxe4 8. Nxe4 Ngf6 9. O-O Nxe4 10. Qxe4 Nf6 11. Qd3 Be7 12. c3

  18. 7...Nbd7: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 e6 6. Be2 Nf6 7. O-O Nbd7 8. d4 dxe4 9. Nxe4 Be7 10. c4
    7...Nbd7

    … 7. O-O Nbd7 8. d4 dxe4 9. Nxe4 Be7 10. c4

  19. 7...dxe4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 e6 6. Be2 Nf6 7. O-O dxe4 8. Nxe4 Nxe4 9. Qxe4 Nd7 10. d4 Nf6 11. Qd3 Bd6 12. c3
    7...dxe4

    … 7. O-O dxe4 8. Nxe4 Nxe4 9. Qxe4 Nd7 10. d4 Nf6 11. Qd3 Bd6 12. c3

  20. 9...d4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 e6 6. Be2 Nf6 7. O-O Be7 8. d3 O-O 9. Bf4 d4 10. Nb1
    9...d4

    … 9. Bf4 d4 10. Nb1

Other chapters

All chapters of the Beat the Caro-Kann: Two Knights

Learn Mindeno Variation and 3...d4 Lines (3...Bg4, 3...d4) on the board

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