Chess lessons › Chess openings
The Caro-Kann Defence
Black supports d5 with a pawn from c6 and brings the light-squared bishop out first.
The idea
Black supports d5 with c6 and brings the bishop out before e6.
- The pawn on c6 supports the pawn on d5.
- Black has not played e6, so the bishop on c8 is free.
- It comes out to f5 before e6 can shut it in.
In a game: A solid answer to e4 for players who want a pawn on d5 without a shut-in bishop.
How the lesson begins
Find the move
Black to move. Black has played 1...c6, the Caro-Kann Defence, and White has taken the centre with d4. Challenge the pawn on e4.
A hint
The pawn on d7 moves two squares and attacks e4.
Show the answer
2... d5
d5 attacks e4, and the pawn on c6 defends it. Black gets a pawn in the centre without shutting in the bishop on c8, which is the whole idea of the Caro-Kann. Among players rated 1200 to 1599 on Lichess, White scored 52% after 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5, against 50% in the French.
A question
White has played 3.e5. How many moves does Black’s bishop on c8 have?
Show the answer
Five: d7, e6, f5, g4 and h3.
Right. The bishop is free, and that is what Black has gained compared with the French.
In numbers
How often it is played
| Rating | Value |
|---|---|
| Under 800 | 13 |
| 800 to 1199 | 40 |
| 1200 to 1599 | 50 |
| 1600 to 1999 | 59 |
| 2000 and up | 62 |
How the games ended
White won 48%, 4% were drawn and Black won 48%, over 98,031 games that start this way, in a sample of rated Lichess games from 2026.