Karpov and the Caro-Kann
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I'm 59... which means he was World Champion when I got into organized Chess.
Karpov did not find the Smyslov Variation of Caro Kann till the twilight of his career.
As the World Champion (1975-1985) he essayed a lot of defenses IMO... (and I could wrong) he kinda played the The Sicilian Taimanov, the Petroff and various Ruy Lopez's ... he played a few French and Caro-Kann (the Classical var)
In the 1980s my recollection is he played a lot of Ruy lopez's against Kasparov.
1990s he starts playing the Smyslov Variation of the Caro-Kann and it was a like the opening was made for him... he goes something like a year and a half before someone beats him when he played it. One tournament.. early on, using the Smyslov Variation he has a crazy performance elo of like 2880... No one could dent it.... IMO... if he would have discovered the Smyslov Variation during the years Kasparov and him where dueling for the WC.. (which he lost each one by either a game by drawing the match) He would have regained the WC... (so strong he was playing the Smyslov Variation of the Caro-Kann)