Which Caro-Kann variation is most drawish?

Does there exist a variation of the Caro-Kann where White can usually steer the game into a particularly drawish game?

I'm looking for a line for White in the Caro-Kann that is similar to the Exchange Variation of the French Defense. So far I've been playing the Exchange Variation of the Caro-Kann because its piece placement and positional play seem quite similar to the Exchange French, which I know well and I like. However, a fundamental difference is that the pawn structures in the Exchange Caro-Kann are not balanced, whereas they are balanced in the Exchange French. As a result, in the Caro-Kann as White I don't like Black's queen's freedom along the diagonal to b6, or having to place my queen at b3 to prevent Black's ...Qb6, then having to move my queen back after Black fails to make that move.

I found a reference to a "drawish line" of the Caro-Kann in the following game...

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1338526

...but that doesn't have a balanced pawn formation that I'd prefer.

Something like this would be nice, but White certainly can't force this position, and it's pretty bizarre besides...

Might as well point something out:  The game can only be boring as each side makes it out to be in the Exchange variations.  For example, the OP compares the drawish lines that he's seeking to the Exchange French.  There are certainly lines which can lead to many draws, such as if Black plays the standard Nf6-Bd6 system. However, I've gotten perfectly exciting games as Black with other systems, such as with Nc6-Bd6-Nge7-Bg4 (the last move against Nf3), where I have the option of castling to either side with good chances.  Likewise, I'm sure there are ways in the Caro where Black can make the game more exciting.

Cool, because that's exactly what I've been playing so far.

chess titans XD whyyyyy

The Exchange Caro-Kann is nothing like the Exchange French.  Far more comparable is the Exchange Queen's Gambit Declined with colors reversed.  The other difference is because of the extra tempo, White should not commit to Nf3 early so as not to allow Bg4 by Black, making it harder for him to develop.  That said, look at the following 2 positions, and note the pawn structure similarities with the colors reversed (and yes, while not as frequent because he's down a tempo, the Minority Attack for Black comes into play at times:

And actually, correction to my own comment, ...Bf5 isn't even possible here.  Black has problems with the LSB compared to White with the DSB in the QGD - Exchange Variation.

From your second diagram 6 .... Bg4 is the main line and  6... g6 is also played a lot . The usual answer to 6... Bg4 is 7 . Qb3 

Is 7.f3 ok as well, or a positional (e3) or tactical blunder? Been 3 years since I played the Caro-Kann as Black and against it, I play the fantasy variations

Reb wrote:

From your second diagram 6 .... Bg4 is the main line and  6... g6 is also played a lot . The usual answer to 6... Bg4 is 7 . Qb3 

7. f3 is also played but black does better than white after 7 f3 .  The 2 moves that do best for white after 6...Bg4 are Qb3 and Nf3 .   I used to play carokann as black if I knew my opponent would play the exchange variation but I preferred 6.... g6  I think 6...Bg4 is objectively better though . 

From my experience playing the black side of the Caro-Kann at my level in OTB tournaments, the main line with 3. Nd2 dxe4 tends to be drawish if white plays actively enough while not taking risks with weakening moves.

Thanks for your informative feedback. This is the second time I read somebody on this forum say the same thing: that the Exchange Caro-Kann and Exchange French are very different. However, as I mentioned, the piece placement and small plans (e.g., planned knight outpost for White on e5) are identical in many cases:

As for your comment about White's Nf3 allowing ...Bg4, if that idea is applied to the Exchange Caro-Kann, I'm still investigating alternatives for White there. White has a lot of options to Black's early ...Bg4, including f3, Nf3, Ne2, and Qb3, so I'm not very familiar with that set of maneuvers yet.

It looks like you might have something there, statistically speaking. 365chess shows the following choices for White's 3rd move...

3. Nc3 - draw rate 35.8%

3. exd4 - draw rate 34.1%

3. e5 - draw rate 28.2%

3. Nd2 - draw rate 39.5%

3. f3 - draw rate 25.6%

The highest draw rate is from your suggestion 3...Nd2.

The exchange french is a symetrical position.
On the contrary, the exchange Caro-Kann is non-symetrical, and white and black have very different plans (kingside vs minority attack)
While both opening may seem similar, they are very different.

3. Nc3 allows some more advantageous variations with 3...g6 in the Caro-Kann that does not work as well with 3. Nd2 from what I remember. But today's opening theory could be different. Instead of using the 365chess database, try this one

http://database.chessbase.com/js/apps/database/

Thanks for the link. I'm on a slow server so their app never finished launching, but I'll try again later.