Openings that lead to favourable pawn structures in the end game

I've heard or read somewhere that the Caro-Kann can lead to favourable end games for black on account of the better pawn structure. Of course, that largely depends on what happens in the game, but is there some truth to this idea? If so, are there any other openings that are known to lead to favourable pawn structures in the end game for either colour?

its like you say, you cant get some kind of advantage with giving up something in return unless your opponent blunder

Definitely the French Defense...

(p. 145)
      FRENCH DEFENCE
(1 P-K4, P-K3)

THE French derives its name from a correspondence game between
London and Paris in 1834, even though Lucena had examined it in 1497.
Variously disparaged over the years, it is nevertheless sensibly motivated
and one of the most important close [sic] openings. It lists among its
adherents Burn, Rubinstein, and Winawer, who
invented their own variations, Nimzowitsch,
Stahlberg, Steinitz, Czerniak, R. Byrne, Guimard,
Uhlmann, and its ultra-virtuoso Botvinnik. A
defence which offers scope for the imagination
and numerous subtle resources, it appeals to
rock-ribbed temperatments. French players are a
breed apart. They are willing to submit to cramp
and countless indignities in order to reach an
end-game where the pawn structure definitely
favours Black.

Evans, Larry, and Walter Korn. 1965. Modern Chess Openings, 10th Edition. New York: Pitman Publishing Corporation.

I think as long as you play a sounds opening you dont have to think about having a teoretical endgameadvantage. Just put enough effort into endgames and you will start winning even many draws and lost endgames. The average chessplayer know very little about endgames

Black's endgame is better in the caro-kann because he has a solid pawn structure, while white usually pushes up a lot of pawns which will usually turn out to be weaknesses in the endgame, but they are good for attack in the middlegame. Certainly it is not true for every variation.
Same can happen in the french defense. An endgame with a pawn structure d4-e5 e6-d5 is better in the endgame for black, because the d4 pawn can be attacked in the endgame as well. But this pawn structure gives white important space advantage in the middlegame.
It can also happen in the sicilian defense and in many other openings. 

The ruy lopez exhange variation endgame is better for white because black cannot create a passed pawn on the queenside while white can on the kingside. But white gives the bishop pair for it.
 

Well often white capture on d5 with his central e4pawn while black recaptures with his not so central cpawn so i guess black has some smal central spaceadvantage in the endgame but i dont play the caro kann myself so im not sure.

If you want to be good in endgames you get alot rookendgames is the way to go. Exept from that its hard to control exactly what endgames you get as far as i know

That's a good question for several reasons. I also would have guessed the Caro-Kann because I regard it as similar to the French. I'm wondering if all defenses with a Black pawn initially moved to the 6th rank instead 5th rank in the opening tend to have that character of good pawn structures in the endgame. If so, the Pirc, Modern Defense, and possibly QGD, Slav, and Philidor might also qualify.

It's also a good question because it's rare to see anyone discuss what type of endgame results from a given opening. I know certain Exchange Caro-Kann lines and certain QGD lines tend to end up with knights and bishops, whereas Four Knights games tend to end up with rooks. It would be really useful to have an openings guide that told what kind of endgame to expect.

Solid openings like the French Defence or the Caro-Kann or with Caro-Slav structures usually has this reputation in the endgame.

You might want try the Benko Gambit as well! Funny how this opening actually won more games in the endgame even after givingup a pawn!

The currently popular Berlin Defense.

It seems to me the reason why Berlin Defence is such a hard nut to crack is because of the queenless middlegame/endgame and the readiness of black's pieces to counter white's structural potential on the kingside and not necessarily because of its superior pawn structure.

Yes, but only from white's point of view. Black is actually the one with the structural deficit in the Berlin and must be cautious not to exchange off too many/the wrong pieces.

It seems there are a few choices for black e.g. Caro-Kann, Slav and French. It's much more difficult to find something similar for white, although it seems like the Ruy Lopez might be the way to go with the exchange variation. The problem with that is I'll have to look at a few sicilian lines too and wanted to keep opening study to a minimum.

There is no opening where you can force such a thing.

For example:

Ruy Lopez - The Exchange Variation leads to a favorable pawn structure for White IF he can get to an endgame.  Problem is, you can't force it.  Black can play 2...Nf6, or after 2...Nc6 3.Bb5, if Black doesn't play 3...a6, taking immediately on c6 isn't very good.  I myself play the Exchange Ruy, but only against 3...a6.

Caro-Kann - The example that the OP is thinking of is the Classical Variation (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bg7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3).  The advancement of the h-pawn is an asset in the middlegame, cramping Black with a lot of pieces on the board, but if it trades down to an endgame, that "asset" soon becomes an over-extended weakness.  But again, first you have to get thru the middlegame, and also, White can play the Exchange (which ends up with a Reversed Carlsbad Pawn Structure), Panov-Botvinnik Attack (which typically leads to IQP Positions), the Advance Variation, or the Fantasy Variation.

Berlin Wall - Here the better ending depends on what pieces are left.  K+P endings favor White.  Knight vs Knight, Dark-Squared Bishop (DSB) vs DSB also favor White.  Knight vs DSB tends to favor White.  Knight vs LSB depends on whether White has played b3 or not.  If he has, it tends to favor Black.  DSB vs LSB again depends on the b-pawn.  If pushed, favors Black.  If not, drawish.  DSB vs Knight is another preferable ending for Black.  Each scenario has exceptions, but in general...

As ThrillerFan noted, you can't force such an opening, but I believe your question is still good since I believe that *statistically* some openings will tend to have better pawn structures than others. Also, if your question addresses more specific variations deeper in the game than just saying "Caro-Kann," which only describes the first two moves of the game, then the question becomes more relevant.

I disagree that it's difficult for White to find such an opening that leads to a favorable pawn structure for White in the endgame, especially since White is in control. The problem I see is that so many openings like the Winawer French, the main line Najdorf Sicilian, Dragon Sicilian, the Four Pawns Attack of the Pirc, the Nimzo-Indian, etc., rely on White aggressively advancing pawns in the main lines, which often ends up with doubled pawns or isolated pawns. But White doesn't have to follow those aggressive main lines. Personally, I've changed my choice of attacks or my choice of pawn placements in many openings as White just for the sake of reaching a better endgame as White, especially in the French Defense. I'm still doing that even now: just last week, after going through many online games of my currently favored variation of the Caro-Kann, I noticed that White usually ends up with doubled, isolated b-pawns in that variation, so now I'm shifting to the 3rd most popular move by White at that point. I've already tried the 1st most popular move and rejected that because I hate White's queen placement, and I've already tried the 2nd most popular move and rejected that because of the doubled isolated b-pawns. I've noticed that my long-term favored moves have tended to converge on about the 3rd or 4th most popular moves, but I view that as a good thing because the 1st most popular moves are the very aggressive attacks that destroy White's pawn structure.

It probably just comes down to philosophy and trade-offs: White trades off long-term pawn structure for medium-term attack strength. Ultimately the two probably balance out perfectly.

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(p. 18)

1 P-K4    P-QB4
2 N-KB3   P-Q3
3 P-Q4    PxP
4 NxP     N-KB3
5 N-QB3   P-KN3

   Larsen was one of the diehards who refused to abandon the
Dragon until recently. White's attack almost plays itself . . . weak
players even beat Grandmasters with it. I once thumbed through
several issues of Shakhmatny Bulletin, when the Yugoslav Attack
was making its debut, and found the ratio was something like
nine wins out of ten in White's favor. Will Black succeed in rein-
forcing the variation? Time will tell.

(p. 19)
   After 12. . .BxB; 13 BPxB! Black cannot make any attack-
ing headway against this particular pawn formation. White is
lost in the King and Pawn ending, it's true, but Black usually gets
mated long before then. As Tarrasch put it: "Before the endgame
the gods have placed the middle game."

Fischer, Bobby. 1969. My 60 Memorable Games. New York: Simon and Schuster.

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(p. 145)

   The Winawer Variation (cols. 41-70) 1 P-K4, P-K3; 2 P-Q4,
P-Q4; 3 N-QB3, B-N5 is a game in itself and a final estimate
will not be ventured here. The annoying pin on White's Knight threatens
(p. 146)
to win a pawn and provokes highly intricate situations where Black
usually gives up the two Bishops to close the game and ruin White's
pawn-structure. In order to make headway White must attack and he is
advised to sacrifice his Queen's Rook's pawn in order to get active play
on both wings. Col. 47 is a good example of sharp play for both sides.
Fischer is one of the few grandmasters who is thoroughly satisfied with
White's chances.

Evans, Larry, and Walter Korn. 1965. Modern Chess Openings, 10th Edition. New York: Pitman Publishing Corporation.