Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack: what to play after Nc3?

In the Caro-Kann Defense: Two Knights Attack (ECO B10), Black's two primary choices are developing the light-squared bishop or clarifying the center immediately. While dxe4 is the most frequently chosen option across recorded games, engine evaluation marginally prefers Bg4 with an evaluation of +0.20 compared to +0.24 for the capture. Developing with Bg4 directly addresses White's kingside knight and allows Black to resolve the light-squared bishop's development before committing central pawns.

The Strategic Choice Between Bg4 and dxe4

Statistically, dxe4 accounts for 67.0% of the database entries (8.40M recorded games), leading after dxe4 Nxe4 Nf6 Qe2 Nxe4 Qxe4 to positions where White scores 52.2%. In contrast, Bg4 appears in 24.1% of recorded games (3.03M recorded) and holds White to a 48.4% scoring rate. By playing Bg4, Black targets the f3 knight and avoids premature central liquidation, following an engine main line of Bg4 Be2 dxe4 Nxe4 Nd7 a4.

Alternative Continuations

Beyond the two main moves, other setups appear with considerably lower frequency in database records. The move Nf6 is chosen in 7.0% of games (879K recorded) with an evaluation of +0.49, inviting the sequence Nf6 e5 Ne4 Ne2 Qb6 d4 where White scores 50.0%. Rarer options include the fianchetto preparation g6 (0.9% of games, 113K recorded, +0.43 evaluation) leading to g6 d4 Bg7 h3 dxe4 Nxe4, and the flank move a6 (1.0% of games, 124K recorded, +0.52 evaluation), after which a6 d4 dxe4 Nxe4 Nf6 Qe2 yields a 45.6% score for White.