The Caro-kann defence
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What is your opinion to this line??
It will be Panno-Botvinnik variation, I expect.Good report for everyone to read.
i uasually do 1.e4,c6 2.d4,d5 3.e5,c5 and it's... alittle like the queens gambit for black.:)
Ok! You can also play that!
Aug 17, 2010
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#6
I've been playing the Kann against 1.e4 for over 6 months. It is amazing! So much easier than 1 ...c5. It's solid, puts White on the defense of his d-pawn, and is just so much fun!
Aug 17, 2010
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#8
I'm a big fan of the Caro-Kann. It's is my exclusive defense to 1.e4, and it has catapulted me from intermediate level to master level. I am proof that one can play this "boring" opening with great success against players of all levels.
CARO - KANN DEFENSE IS GREAT AGAINST 1.E4...
IT PREVENTS THE CONTROL OF CENTER BY WHITE.........BUT WE CAN'T EXPECT IMMEDIATE RESULTS WITH IT............PATIENCE AND FLEXIBLE THINKING IS THE KEY IN USING CARO-KANN DEFENSE.................
Shawkash, in the line you gave 16...Ng6 is recommended for Black in Lars Schandorff's excellent book GM Repertoire 7: The Caro-Kann.
Aug 23, 2010
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#11
cbgirardo wrote:
Shawkash, in the line you gave 16...Ng6 is recommended for Black in Lars Schandorff's excellent book GM Repertoire 7: The Caro-Kann.
Crazy line. This is why I don't play into it. But I should really learn it better.
You know, when I have the time and all.
It's one of the two critical variations in the Short Advance variation of the Caro...one of three lines a Caro player actually needs to know (the other one is the endgame line of the Panov...if black plays it...I guess in the Panov with ...Nf6 and ...Nc6, 6.Bg5 is also critical to know some theory...but I'm obviously exaggerating slightly anyway)
Seriously, though, I think everyone who likes the Caro and who likes playing for a win with the black pieces should take a serious look at Lars Schandorff's book The Caro-Kann from the GM Repertoire series by Quality Chess. It's the only chess book I've spent money on in the last couple of years. At least, as far as openings are concerned...I also bought How to Play Chess Endgames, another high-quality work, this one by Karsten Muller and Wolfgang Pajeken (sp).
I think it should be renamed "The Rope-a-Dope".
cbgirardo wrote:
Seriously, though, I think everyone who likes the Caro and who likes playing for a win with the black pieces...
I've just started putting some work into my Caro-kann. But I find it difficult to truly "play for a win". The moves to play seem to truly be the most natural in almost every variation.
That being said, I don't play for a win with the Caro-kann, but it just seems to happen.
What I don't like about it, compared to some other solid defenses, is that white has not only a lot of annoying things to try like the exchange and advance, but when he plays the main line black has to ask himself how does he play for a win. under 2000, black wins all the time because there is usually a really big mistake or blunder played by the weaker player, but at higher levels isn't black just trying to liquidate the center or exchange pieces? It seems like more of a safe drawing opening in those lines (there is that line 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nf6 5 Nxf6+ gxf6!? but you have to be ok with white having some edge), especially if white doesn't advance his h pawn. The only imbalance that would be likely to happen is if ...c5 is played, when black will have more center pawns and white a q side majority but I don't think that's much to play a win from against a good opponent, correct me if I'm wrong.
I never played the caro much though, but that's just something I've always wondered about. I like solid openings, but ones that also have big strategic imbalances where the player with better understanding will usually win (for me right now the french and kan sicilian both really have that combination), and in a main line caro, it just looks like black is neutralizing white who has the only real advantage and hopes for a big enough mistake. Not a bad strategy, but against strong opposition it seems tough to crank out too many wins that way.
Oct 11, 2010
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#16
Ok, now the caro-kann defense is good but it lets the knight stuck in it's place
bigpoison wrote:
I think it should be renamed "The Rope-a-Dope".
I second the motion. Not good for speed games.
Estragon wrote:
The "drawish" reputation of the Caro-Kann only applies at the master level and above, and there are plenty of Black wins even then. Of course, Black only wins in the C-K if White makes a mistake, but in which Black defense can he win if White doesn't make a mistake?
Black gets a decent position out of the opening in most lines, without serious weaknesses and is able to develop his pieces. That's about all the C-K can give, but it is better than many defenses in achieving that much. Beyond that, it's up to the player.
There are however opportunities along the way for Black to complicate the game if he wishes. The key is that it is Black's choice to go for the risky lines, White cannot force you into them.
White always has a little head start from the first move, and the opening is essentially the battle to see if he can use that to achieve a bigger, more tangible advantage. I always recommend players become grounded in the 1 ...e5 defenses to 1 e4 first, but the C-K is a good second stop in learning Black's choices: it's basic premise is to attempt to blunt White's initiative without creating targets for him to attack, and allow Black to develop and castle before any attack can be mounted upon him.
If you want more chances for Black, you have to undertake greater risks, and that's fine if you want to do it. The C-K is Black saying, "No, you can't!" to White in the opening, not trying to create imbalances early on to enhance winning chances.
Thanks for this
Speaking of speed games, I was in one where the annoying Caro man created this incredible blockade across the entire board. Which is why he lost on time.
(I avoided his pitiful attempts to draw by repetition - there were still many pieces on board. And after 49 moves I made an unsound pawn sac just to avoid the 50 move rule, too.)
Uncle. Tortoise took 113 moves to die, but die he did. Slow and steady does not always win the race.