Chess opening · ECO B13
Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack
White starts the Panov Attack from the Caro-Kann Exchange but refuses to sit back. Instead of supporting d4 with c3, White plays 4.c4 and attacks the d5 pawn at once. The game usually ends up with White holding an isolated pawn on d4: a pawn that gives the pieces space and outposts, and that Black will try to blockade and win.
- Rank by weighted share
- #132 of 159
Key moves
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4
- 3. exd5White releases the tension in the center by taking on d5. After Black recaptures with the c-pawn, the c-file is half-open for Black and the e-file is half-open for White, with one d-pawn each in the center.
- 4. c4The Panov move. The c4 pawn strikes at d5 right away, so Black must defend it or take on c4. If pawns are later traded on d5, White is left with a lone pawn on d4, since neither the c-pawn nor the e-pawn is there to support it.
Defending d5 with ...Nf6
The knight on f6 guards d5 and develops toward the kingside. White typically adds Nc3 to pile up on d5, and Black follows with ...e6 or ...Nc6, often letting White take on d5 and recapturing with the knight.
Taking on c4 at once is the other route. After 4...dxc4 5.Bxc4 the white bishop develops by recapturing, and the d4 pawn is already isolated, with no white pawn left on the c-file or the e-file.
Life with a pawn on d4
The d4 pawn covers e5 and c5, so White's knights have natural posts there. White's pieces tend to gather on the kingside, with a bishop on d3 or c4 and a rook on e1, looking for an attack.
Black wants the opposite. A piece planted on d5 stops the pawn from advancing, and trades take the sting out of White's activity. In a simple endgame, the d4 pawn can become a weakness that Black's rooks can pile up against.
Reaching the isolated pawn
4... Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Be7 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Bd3 Nc6 9. O-O O-O
White's d4 pawn now has no neighbors. Black's knight sits on d5 in front of it, and the c6 knight adds pressure on d4. White's bishop on d3 points toward the castled black king.
Top replies by rating
Nf6 leads in every band. Below 1800, dxc4 holds a top three spot, while from 1800 up Nc6 replaces it.
| Rating | Top | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1200–1399 | Nf6 53% | dxc4 24% | e6 24% |
| 1400–1599 | Nf6 52% | dxc4 19% | e6 16% |
| 1600–1799 | Nf6 58% | dxc4 17% | e6 15% |
| 1800–1999 | Nf6 61% | e6 14% | Nc6 14% |
| 2000 and up | Nf6 63% | e6 18% | Nc6 13% |
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.