Caro-Kann Defense:Exchange Variation

It is reached after 5 moves: 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5. It is a line of the Caro-Kann Defense.

Black is to move and has 30 legal moves. Over the next four moves — two for each side — the game can branch into 1,255,620 different games. Those games reach 408,347 different positions: most positions can be reached in more than one way, 3.1 on average.

The Lichess opening list names 21 further lines after this position.

The same moves can be played in 5 different legal orders that all reach this position. For example 1. d4 c6 2. e4 d5 3. exd5, which starts as the Queen's Pawn Game.