Caro-Kann Defense:Two Knights Attack

It is reached after 5 moves: 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3. 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 910,948 different games. Those games reach 303,262 different positions: most positions can be reached in more than one way, 3 on average.

The Lichess opening list names 4 further lines after this position, such as Mindeno Variation (3... Bg4) and Hector Gambit (3... dxe4 4. Ng5).

The same moves can be played in 12 different legal orders that all reach this position. For example 1. Nc3 c6 2. e4 d5 3. Nf3, which starts as the Van Geet Opening.