Campomanes Attack

The Campomanes Attack is the Caro-Kann sideline 3...Nf6, played in place of the main move 3...dxe4. Black keeps the central tension and develops the king's knight. White most often accepts the invitation with 4. e5, gaining time on the knight, which retreats to d7. The result is a closed center resembling the Advance Variation. The practical aim is to steer an opponent who expected the open lines after 3...dxe4 into a structure they may not have prepared. The cost is concrete: after the retreat the knight on d7 blocks the c8-bishop's route to f5, and White's e5-pawn gives a lasting space advantage.

4. e5 is by far the most common reply and scores well for White. 4. exd5 and 4. Bd3 are the main alternatives, played much less often; 4. exd5 gives White the poorest results of the three. The line is moderately popular in online play. In the Lichess games White wins more often than Black, and engines judge White to have a clear advantage.