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Caro-Kann Defense · As Black · updated October 2026

Play the Caro-Kann like Liam Putnam

A Caro-Kann repertoire built from 40 of Liam Putnam's public Chess.com blitz games. At every position you play the move Liam Putnam chose most often. Where Liam Putnam has fewer than 3 games, the course takes the other top-50 players' most played move, then Stockfish's. Learn a line on the board, then each position comes back in a short daily review until it sticks.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by Liam Putnam or Chess.com.

  • Liam Putnam was #48 in Chess.com blitz in October 2026 (3,200) and scored 66% against opponents averaging 3,020 in these games.
  • You play Liam Putnam's own move in 18 of 40 positions.
  • The whole course is free, and it is updated monthly.

Free · first 5 lines need no account

Blitz rank

#48

Chess.com

Rating

3,200

Games

40

in this opening

Score

66%

in these games

Opponents

3,020

average rating

More about Liam Putnam

Use arrow keys to navigate the board. Press Enter to select a piece, then use arrow keys and Enter to move. Press Escape to cancel a move.
Line 1 after 16 moves

Lines to learn

  1. Line 1 · 8% at top level

    2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.Bd3 Qxd4 7.Nf3 Qd5 8.O-O Be6 9.Re1 Nd7

  2. Line 2 · 7% at top level

    2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.Bd3 O-O 8.O-O Bg4

  3. Line 3 · 6% at top level

    2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.h4 a6 5.g4 Bd7

  4. Line 4 · 6% at top level

    2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.h4 a6 5.h5 c5 6.dxc5 Nc6 7.Bd3 Bxd3 8.cxd3 Nxe5 9.d4 Nc6 10.Nf3 e6

  5. Line 5 · 6% at top level

    2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.c3 Bd6 7.Bd3 O-O 8.Qc2 Re8+ 9.Ne2 h5 10.O-O h4

  6. Line 6 · 5% at top level

    2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 Bg4

  7. Line 7 · 5% at top level

    2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.h3 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 e6 6.g3 d4

  8. Line 8 · 5% at top level

    2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 Bg4 4.h3 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 e6 6.d4 Nf6

  9. Line 9 · 5% at top level

    2.Nf3 d5 3.d3 dxe4 4.dxe4 Qxd1+ 5.Kxd1 Nf6

Ordered by how often they come up in top-level games. Learned lines join your daily review.

Liam Putnam's main line in the Caro-Kann, move by move

The most common line at top level: 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.Bd3 Qxd4 7.Nf3 Qd5 8.O-O Be6 9.Re1 Nd7.

  1. 2.d4 Reply · Liam Putnam's games A common reply here is 2.d4. At top level, this comes up about 70% of the time.
  2. 2…d5 Your move · Liam Putnam's games Liam Putnam played 2…d5 in 28 games, scoring 57%.
  3. 3.Nc3 Reply · Liam Putnam's games A common reply here is 3.Nc3. At top level, this comes up about 13% of the time.
  4. 3…dxe4 Your move · Liam Putnam's games Liam Putnam played 3…dxe4 in 5 games, scoring 60%.
  5. 4.Nxe4 Reply · Liam Putnam's games A common reply here is 4.Nxe4.
  6. 4…Nf6 Your move · Liam Putnam's games Liam Putnam played 4…Nf6 in 6 games, scoring 50%.
  7. 5.Nxf6+ Reply · Liam Putnam's games A common reply here is 5.Nxf6+.
  8. 5…exf6 Your move · Liam Putnam's games Liam Putnam played 5…exf6 in 6 games, scoring 50%.
  9. 6.Bd3 Reply · Liam Putnam's games A common reply here is 6.Bd3. At top level, this comes up about 8% of the time.
  10. 6…Qxd4 Your move · Top-50 players Liam Putnam has too few games here, so this is the other top players' most played move.
  11. 7.Nf3 Reply · Top-50 players In the other top players' games, a common reply here is 7.Nf3.
  12. 7…Qd5 Your move · Top-50 players Liam Putnam has too few games here, so this is the other top players' most played move.
  13. 8.O-O Reply · Top-50 players In the other top players' games, a common reply here is 8.O-O.
  14. 8…Be6 Your move · Top-50 players Liam Putnam has too few games here, so this is the other top players' most played move.
  15. 9.Re1 Reply · Top-50 players In the other top players' games, a common reply here is 9.Re1.
  16. 9…Nd7 Your move · Top-50 players Liam Putnam has too few games here, so this is the other top players' most played move.

Questions about this course

How does Liam Putnam play the Caro-Kann?
After 1.e4 c6, Liam Putnam's most common line is 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.Bd3 Qxd4 7.Nf3 Qd5 8.O-O Be6 9.Re1 Nd7. At top level it comes up about 8% of the time.
Is this Liam Putnam's course?
No. ChessDrills builds it automatically from Liam Putnam's public Chess.com blitz games.
What is this Caro-Kann course based on?
40 of Liam Putnam's Chess.com blitz games in the Caro-Kann Defense as Black, against opponents with an average rating of 3,020. Liam Putnam scored 66% in them.
How many lines does the course have?
9 lines covering 40 positions, ordered by how often they come up in top-level games. The first 5 lines need no account; saving your progress with an email unlocks the rest, free.
Who is Liam Putnam?
GM Liam Putnam was ranked number 48 on the Chess.com blitz leaderboard with a rating of 3,200 when this course was built.