For Black· 21 lines

Caro-Kann Defense - Main Line (3.Nc3)

Let's learn the Caro-Kann Defense! It's famous for being rock-solid: low on risk, high on long-term chances. Let's begin with 1.e4.

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Main line

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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. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. Nf3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O Bg4 9. h3 Bh5 10. c3 Re8 11. Be3 Nd7
    Main Line

    … 9. h3 Bh5 10. c3 Re8 11. Be3 Nd7

  2. 3. Nd2: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. Nf3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O Bg4 9. h3 Bh5 10. c3 Re8 11. Be3 Nd7
    3. Nd2

    … 2... d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. Nf3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O Bg4 9. h3 Bh5 10. c3 Re8 11. Be3 Nd7

  3. 4. Bc4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. f3 exf3 6. Nxf3 Bf5 7. O-O e6 8. Ne5 Bg6 9. Bg5 Nbd7 10. Qe2 Be7
    4. Bc4

    … 3... dxe4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. f3 exf3 6. Nxf3 Bf5 7. O-O e6 8. Ne5 Bg6 9. Bg5 Nbd7 10. Qe2 Be7

  4. 4. Bc4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. f3 exf3 6. Nxf3 Bf5 7. O-O e6 8. Ng5 Bg6 9. Ne2 Bd6
    4. Bc4

    … 3... dxe4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. f3 exf3 6. Nxf3 Bf5 7. O-O e6 8. Ng5 Bg6 9. Ne2 Bd6

  5. Trap: 9.N1f3, you win a piece: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Ng5 c5 6. c3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nc6 8. Bc4 e6 9. N1f3 h6 10. Nxf7 Bb4+ 11. Kf1 Kxf7 12. h4 Rf8
    Trap: 9.N1f3, you win a piece

    … 4... Nf6 5. Ng5 c5 6. c3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nc6 8. Bc4 e6 9. N1f3 h6 10. Nxf7 Bb4+ 11. Kf1 Kxf7 12. h4 Rf8

  6. Trap: 8.N1f3, you win a piece: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Ng5 c5 6. c3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nc6 8. N1f3 h6 9. Nxf7 Kxf7 10. Bc4+ Be6
    Trap: 8.N1f3, you win a piece

    … 4... Nf6 5. Ng5 c5 6. c3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nc6 8. N1f3 h6 9. Nxf7 Kxf7 10. Bc4+ Be6

  7. 5. Ng5: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Ng5 c5 6. Bc4 e6 7. N1f3 h6 8. Nxf7 Kxf7 9. Ne5+ Kg8 10. c3 Nc6
    5. Ng5

    … 4... Nf6 5. Ng5 c5 6. Bc4 e6 7. N1f3 h6 8. Nxf7 Kxf7 9. Ne5+ Kg8 10. c3 Nc6

  8. 5. Ng5: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Ng5 c5 6. N1f3 h6 7. Nxf7 Kxf7 8. Ne5+ Kg8 9. Bc4+ e6 10. c3 Nc6
    5. Ng5

    … 4... Nf6 5. Ng5 c5 6. N1f3 h6 7. Nxf7 Kxf7 8. Ne5+ Kg8 9. Bc4+ e6 10. c3 Nc6

  9. 5. Ng5: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Ng5 c5 6. N1f3 h6 7. Nxf7 Kxf7 8. Bc4+ e6 9. Ne5+ Kg8 10. c3 Nc6
    5. Ng5

    … 4... Nf6 5. Ng5 c5 6. N1f3 h6 7. Nxf7 Kxf7 8. Bc4+ e6 9. Ne5+ Kg8 10. c3 Nc6

  10. 5. Ng3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Ng3 h5 6. Nf3 h4 7. Ne2 Bg4 8. h3 Bxf3 9. gxf3 Nbd7 10. Bg2 e6
    5. Ng3

    … 4... Nf6 5. Ng3 h5 6. Nf3 h4 7. Ne2 Bg4 8. h3 Bxf3 9. gxf3 Nbd7 10. Bg2 e6

  11. 5. Ng3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Ng3 h5 6. h4 c5 7. c3 cxd4 8. Qxd4 Qxd4 9. cxd4 Nc6 10. Bb5 Bd7 11. Nf3 a6 12. Bc4 Rc8
    5. Ng3

    … 4... Nf6 5. Ng3 h5 6. h4 c5 7. c3 cxd4 8. Qxd4 Qxd4 9. cxd4 Nc6 10. Bb5 Bd7 11. Nf3 a6 12. Bc4 Rc8

  12. 5. Ng3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Ng3 h5 6. h4 c5 7. Be3 cxd4 8. Qxd4 Qxd4 9. Bxd4 Nc6 10. Bc3 Nd5
    5. Ng3

    … 4... Nf6 5. Ng3 h5 6. h4 c5 7. Be3 cxd4 8. Qxd4 Qxd4 9. Bxd4 Nc6 10. Bc3 Nd5

  13. 5. Ng3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Ng3 h5 6. h4 c5 7. Nf3 Nc6 8. Bb5 Qa5+ 9. Bd2 Qxb5 10. dxc5 Qxc5
    5. Ng3

    … 4... Nf6 5. Ng3 h5 6. h4 c5 7. Nf3 Nc6 8. Bb5 Qa5+ 9. Bd2 Qxb5 10. dxc5 Qxc5

  14. 5. Ng3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Ng3 h5 6. h4 c5 7. Nf3 Nc6 8. Be3 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Bg4 10. Qd2 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 a6
    5. Ng3

    … 4... Nf6 5. Ng3 h5 6. h4 c5 7. Nf3 Nc6 8. Be3 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Bg4 10. Qd2 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 a6

  15. 6. c3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Ne2 Re8 9. Qc2 h5 10. O-O h4 11. h3 Nd7 12. Bd2 Nf8
    6. c3

    … 5... exf6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Ne2 Re8 9. Qc2 h5 10. O-O h4 11. h3 Nd7 12. Bd2 Nf8

  16. 6. c3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Ne2 Re8 9. O-O Nd7 10. Bf4 Nf8 11. Bxd6 Qxd6 12. Ng3 g6
    6. c3

    … 5... exf6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Ne2 Re8 9. O-O Nd7 10. Bf4 Nf8 11. Bxd6 Qxd6 12. Ng3 g6

  17. 6. c3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Qc2 Re8+ 9. Ne2 h5 10. O-O h4 11. h3 Nd7 12. Bd2 Nf8
    6. c3

    … 5... exf6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Qc2 Re8+ 9. Ne2 h5 10. O-O h4 11. h3 Nd7 12. Bd2 Nf8

  18. 6. c3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Qc2 Re8+ 9. Ne2 h5 10. Be3 Nd7 11. O-O-O Nf8 12. Kb1 Be6
    6. c3

    … 5... exf6 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Qc2 Re8+ 9. Ne2 h5 10. Be3 Nd7 11. O-O-O Nf8 12. Kb1 Be6

  19. 7. Bc4: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. Nf3 Bd6 7. Bc4 O-O 8. O-O Bf5
    7. Bc4

    … 6... Bd6 7. Bc4 O-O 8. O-O Bf5

  20. 7. Be2: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. Nf3 Bd6 7. Be2 O-O 8. O-O Re8 9. Re1 Nd7
    7. Be2

    … 6... Bd6 7. Be2 O-O 8. O-O Re8 9. Re1 Nd7

  21. 9. c3: position after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. Nf3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O Bg4 9. c3 Re8
    9. c3

    … 8... Bg4 9. c3 Re8

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