For Black· 19 lines

Caro-Kann Defense - Exchange Variation (3.exd5)

Let's learn the Exchange Variation! White trades on d5 and develops toward e5. We recapture with our pawn, then develop our pieces and grab queenside space before castling. 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. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bb5 e6 6. O-O Bd6 7. Re1 a6 8. Bd3 Nge7 9. Nbd2 O-O
    Main Line

    … 7. Re1 a6 8. Bd3 Nge7 9. Nbd2 O-O

  2. 4. Bd3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Qc7 6. Ne2 Bg4 7. O-O e6 8. Qe1 Bxe2 9. Qxe2 Bd6 10. g3 a6
    4. Bd3

    … 3... cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Qc7 6. Ne2 Bg4 7. O-O e6 8. Qe1 Bxe2 9. Qxe2 Bd6 10. g3 a6

  3. 4. Bd3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Qc7 6. Ne2 Bg4 7. f3 Bd7 8. Bf4 e5 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. O-O Nf6 11. Nd4 Bd6 12. Re1 O-O-O
    4. Bd3

    … 3... cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Qc7 6. Ne2 Bg4 7. f3 Bd7 8. Bf4 e5 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. O-O Nf6 11. Nd4 Bd6 12. Re1 O-O-O

  4. 4. Bd3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Qc7 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. h3 Bh5
    4. Bd3

    … 3... cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Qc7 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. h3 Bh5

  5. 4. Bd3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Qc7 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. O-O e6 8. h3 Bh5 9. Re1 a6
    4. Bd3

    … 3... cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Qc7 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. O-O e6 8. h3 Bh5 9. Re1 a6

  6. 4. Bd3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Qc7 6. h3 e6 7. Nf3 Bd6 8. O-O Nge7 9. Re1 O-O 10. Nbd2 Bd7 11. Nf1 f6 12. c4 Rad8
    4. Bd3

    … 3... cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Qc7 6. h3 e6 7. Nf3 Bd6 8. O-O Nge7 9. Re1 O-O 10. Nbd2 Bd7 11. Nf1 f6 12. c4 Rad8

  7. 4. c4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 Be6 7. Be2 Qa5 8. c5 Ne4 9. Nf3 g6
    4. c4

    … 3... cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 Be6 7. Be2 Qa5 8. c5 Ne4 9. Nf3 g6

  8. 4. c4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Nf3 Bg4 8. Be2 e6 9. O-O Bb4 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 11. a3 Be7
    4. c4

    … 3... cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Nf3 Bg4 8. Be2 e6 9. O-O Bb4 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 11. a3 Be7

  9. 4. c4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Be2 e6 8. O-O Be7 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Bxf3 dxc4 11. d5 Nxd5 12. Nxd5 exd5 13. Bxd5 O-O
    4. c4

    … 3... cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Be2 e6 8. O-O Be7 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Bxf3 dxc4 11. d5 Nxd5 12. Nxd5 exd5 13. Bxd5 O-O

  10. 4. c4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Be2 e6 9. O-O Bb4 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 11. a3 Be7
    4. c4

    … 3... cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Be2 e6 9. O-O Bb4 10. Nxd5 Qxd5 11. a3 Be7

  11. 4. c4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Bc4 e6 9. O-O Bd6
    4. c4

    … 3... cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Bc4 e6 9. O-O Bd6

  12. 4. c4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Qb3 Bxf3 9. gxf3 e6 10. Qxb7 Nxd4 11. Bb5+ Nxb5 12. Qc6+ Ke7 13. Qxb5 Qd7 14. Nxd5+ Qxd5 15. Qxd5 exd5
    4. c4

    … 3... cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Qb3 Bxf3 9. gxf3 e6 10. Qxb7 Nxd4 11. Bb5+ Nxb5 12. Qc6+ Ke7 13. Qxb5 Qd7 14. Nxd5+ Qxd5 15. Qxd5 exd5

  13. 4. Nc3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Bb5 e6 7. h3 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Bd6 9. O-O Qf6 10. Qxf6 Nxf6 11. Bg5 a6
    4. Nc3

    … 3... cxd5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Bb5 e6 7. h3 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Bd6 9. O-O Qf6 10. Qxf6 Nxf6 11. Bg5 a6

  14. 4. Nc3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Be3 e6
    4. Nc3

    … 3... cxd5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Be3 e6

  15. 4. Nc3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Be2 e6 7. O-O Bd6 8. h3 Bf5 9. Bg5 Nge7
    4. Nc3

    … 3... cxd5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Be2 e6 7. O-O Bd6 8. h3 Bf5 9. Bg5 Nge7

  16. 5. Bd3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bd3 Bg4 6. c3 Qc7 7. h3 Bh5
    5. Bd3

    … 4... Nc6 5. Bd3 Bg4 6. c3 Qc7 7. h3 Bh5

  17. 5. Nc3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Nc3 Bg4 6. Bb5 e6 7. h3 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Bd6 9. O-O Qf6 10. Qxf6 Nxf6 11. Bg5 a6
    5. Nc3

    … 4... Nc6 5. Nc3 Bg4 6. Bb5 e6 7. h3 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Bd6 9. O-O Qf6 10. Qxf6 Nxf6 11. Bg5 a6

  18. 5. c3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bd3 Bg4 7. O-O e6 8. Bg5 a6
    5. c3

    … 4... Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bd3 Bg4 7. O-O e6 8. Bg5 a6

  19. 6. Ne5: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bb5 e6 6. Ne5 Qb6 7. Bxc6+ bxc6 8. O-O Ne7 9. Qh5 g6 10. Qf3 Nf5 11. g4 f6 12. gxf5 fxe5 13. fxe6 Qc7
    6. Ne5

    … 5... e6 6. Ne5 Qb6 7. Bxc6+ bxc6 8. O-O Ne7 9. Qh5 g6 10. Qf3 Nf5 11. g4 f6 12. gxf5 fxe5 13. fxe6 Qc7

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