About this opening
Caro-Kann Defense: Karpov Variation, Smyslov Variation is an opening in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings,
classified under code B17. ECO group B (B00–B99)
covers semi-open games (1.e4 with Black playing anything other than 1…e5), with the Sicilian, French, Caro-Kann and Pirc/Modern at its heart. This particular variation is reached
after 14 half-moves from the
starting position, with the move sequence 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Bc4 Ngf6 6. Ng5 e6 7. Qe2 Nb6.
It belongs to the Caro-Kann Defense family.
Within that family this is a level-2 branch (the Karpov Variation → Smyslov Variation line). The immediate parent line is Caro-Kann Defense: Karpov Variation, transitioned via 7…Nb6.
The opening sequence in prose form: 1.e4 c6, 2.d4 d5, 3.Nd2 dxe4, 4.Nxe4 Nd7, 5.Bc4 Ngf6, 6.Ng5 e6. From this position exactly one named continuation is recorded in the encyclopaedia.
Use the interactive board above to walk through the moves position-by-position. Click any move in the navigation to step backwards, or use the keyboard arrow keys. The list of recorded continuations sits directly below the board. For statistical data — how often master-level players have reached this position, White's win-rate, draw frequency, Black's score — see the panel in the right column.
Caissly's coverage of B17 extends through every named sub-variation in this line and across all four locales (English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian). Where editorial commentary exists for a specific variation it appears as the page body; otherwise the page presents the structural data, board, and statistics as shown here.