Caro-Kann Defense: Exchange Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code B13, part of the Caro-Kann Defense family. It goes 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Nf3 Nc6. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... c6. After 8 moves it is White to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.
The moves
1. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
1... c6 – Black plays the pawn to c6
2. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
2... d5 – Black plays the pawn to d5
3. exd5 – White captures on d5 with the e-pawn
3... cxd5 – Black captures on d5 with the c-pawn
4. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
4... Nc6 – Black plays the knight to c6
About the Caro-Kann Defense
Black answers 1.e4 with 1...c6 and then ...d5. It is like the French, but the light-squared bishop can come out first.
Black often plays ...Bf5 or ...Bg4 before closing the position with ...e6.
The pawn structure is very solid, so Black rarely gets mated early.
Black later frees the position with ...c5 or ...e5 and aims for a good endgame.
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