Opening Repertoire: The Caro Kann defence

So, this is a very solid defence for black against e4. Here, your peices have different missions. Your c and d pawns has to take over the centre, the knights also will pressure the centre. You're queen in some cases may also join the centre or may go out for a deadly attack. Now, let's just see some variations. 

So, there are three main moves...

e5: This is the advanced variation. There you like to play Bishop f5. But I like a move that is easier for players under 1600 or even 2000. That is the Botvinnik-Carls Defense.

And after they take play Nc6 and if ever Nf3 you pin it with Bishop b5, and if they kick your Bishop let's say with h3 take the horsey. After your Bishop is out play e6 solidifing the centre and then it is followed by Ne7 and try to develop it to f5 attacking the centre. In may games you will just win both those pawns. Then you may take your Bishop out and castle. If they don't take on move four then infact you can do all the same stuff, and now you get ideas of queen c6. That's literally the hardest part and now everything is simple. 

exd5: if takes you have everything even more simple. You can develop your peices more clearly and your position is less cramped. So, you just take back and here by theory this position white should play Bishop d3 because if knight f3 then you can pin it and most of the time you may get this. But the only tricky thing in this variation is the Panov Attack. Here you just try to defend the pawn with your knight and maybe also with the e pawn. Except that everything is great. So, you play Nc6 followed by Nf6 and then bishop out to c5 or g4. And BTW I didn't mention but you are in the variation when they play d4 and then you play d5. In some games however they may bring their knights out but even there you pretty much have same plan.

Nc3 or Nd2: In this case you would most probably like to take the pawn. Now they shall recapture (if not and c3 for the black mar demer then push and give the pawn away.), and here you have options. Nd7, Bf7 and Nf6. Nd7 is known as the karpov variation and the idea here is to play Nf6 with extra protection so you don't have doubled pawns. If you play this it is great but just don't fall for the following trap...

If you play Bishop f7 it is also great but it has more theory which we have to study. Moves may continue as ...

But there is a tricky line especially for bullet, blize and rapid made by @Witty_Alien recently and that's the MARTIAN GAMBIT. 

But okay but I have better option that I prefer. You play Nf6! Though you have doubled after takes pawns they actually do a good job of protecting your king. Now almost anything you just play Bd6 and then you castle. After this you follow it up with knight d7 and move your rook to the central file and then play Nc8 super solid. This may look like this.

And here you ideas for a queen side advantion. Also there is a high chance you will probably get the following attack.

And else is the Alien gambit which you can learn. In conclusion, the Caro Kann is a very solid but also strong rigid and aggressive. Yes, it is.So, now the outro.

Hope you enjoyed and I see you in my next blog, bye 👋🏻!