What should I play against the Caro-Kann Panov-Botvinnik Attack?

Hello.

I was wondering what variation of the Caro-Kann Panov-Botvinnik Attack I should choose for my Black repertoire, after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3.

What I’m looking for is two things:

• Firstly: The variation that I will play should tend to lead on average to positions which are extremely solid, quiet, positional, slow, safe and strategic (i.e. positions which are not sharp and tactical at all). I like Queenless endgames, and I also like fighting against an IQP, but I don’t like facing a big attack.

• Secondly: It must be objectively strong. It must be perfectly sound and reliable. And it must be currently popular and fashionable among Grandmasters. I prefer main lines over minor sidelines because most of my opponents will know my repertoire well (since I play them often), so playing minor sidelines won't have such a big surprise factor.

I have six possibilities:

• 5...e6 6. Nf3 Be7
• 5...e6 6. Nf3 Bb4
• 5...Nc6 6. Bg5 dxc4
• 5...Nc6 6. Bg5 e6
• 5...Nc6 6. Bg5 Be6
• 5...Nc6 6. Bg5 Qa5

(I have already eliminated the move 5…g6, I won’t pick this one.)

It seems to me that playing 5…e6 is more “solid, quiet, positional, slow, safe and strategic” than playing 5…Nc6 (5...Nc6 6. Nf3 just leads to a quiet endgame where White has no advantage at all, but what seems to be very messy and tactical is 5...Nc6 6. Bg5), but playing 5…Nc6 is “objectively stronger” than playing 5…e6 (at least that’s what the statistics seem to suggest), though I’m not really certain.

So what exactly do you think I should play?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

7 Bd3 isnt the most popular move and also doesnt do as well as 7 cd5 and after 7... Nd5 white has a choice between 8 Qc2, Qb3 and 8 Bd2 with all 3 doing better than 7 Bd3 .  These lines can often transpose to nimzo indian positions , so the OP needs to be aware of this as well . I do agree though that 6... Bb4 is a good line and much more active than 6 ... Be7 . 

Touche? :P

The line 5...e6 6. Nf3 Bb4 was what I initially wanted to play, because it looked solid, positional and objectively strong.

But what I don't like about 5...e6 6. Nf3 Bb4 is that it transposes to lines of the Nimzo Indian Defense. The Nimzo Indian is neither in my White repertoire nor in my Black repertoire, but it might be in my opponent's repertoire, so transposing into the Nimzo might not be such a good idea for me. I think I would prefer to play pure Caro-Kann variations.

In this case you are stuck with 5...e6  and 6... Be7  then . 

Personally I wouldn't worry about transposing to a line of the Nimzo. It's not like it transposes to the entire Nimzo-Indian Defense or something.

I play used to play 5...Nc6 but didn't like the variation that led to the ending so I switched to 5...e6. Then I took awhile trying to figure out if I should play 6...Bb4 or 6...Be7. Here's a comment I wrote in a VC game about the difference between the two moves:

The difference between the moves is actually not that huge. Bb4 is a bit riskier, but also more ambitious. Be7 is safer but not as ambitious.

I know a strong NM who plays the Caro-Kann and recently had a discussion with him about the difference between Be7 and Bb4. It turns out that the main variations of them reach exactly the same position, except for the placement of White's dark-squared bishop:

So which is better? Here's a few conclusions that can be drawn:

• Aside from a few variations (e.g., Bd3 in the Bb4 variation), Be7 and Bb4 reach the same position, except that in the Bb4 variation White's bishop is on d2 instead of c1.
• White's bishop being on d2 benefits White in that the bishop is developed (although not to a great square) and the c1 square is free for the rook.
• White's bishop being on d2 benefits Black because the bishop interferes with White's queen, which means that Black "threatens" Ndb4, which means that White cannot simply develop.
• In short, it is unclear to me which is better, and it seems more a matter of opinion.

So which one to play? The NM suggested I learn Be7 first, simply because it is simpler :)

Anyway, skynet, I hope this helps. BTW, I'd be very interested to know IM pfren's thoughts about Bb4 vs Be7, because I clearly was never able to reach a clear conclusion.

I find 26 games with Karpov as black choosing between the two moves at move 6... and he chose Bb4 in 14 games and Be7 in 12 .... seems like a good endorsement of both moves and for a serious kann player it may serve them well to have both moves in their arsenal . 

I just discovered today that the line 5...e6 6. Nf3 Be7 also transposes to a position commonly reached through a different opening: the Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Tarrasch.

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Be7 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Bd3 Nc6 transposes into 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 c5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e3 Nc6 7. Bd3 cxd4 8. exd4 Be7

(It's also possible that this position can also be reached through some other openings, I'm not sure.)

So unfortunately it seems that I also have a problem with the 5...e6 6. Nf3 Be7 variation, since I don't want to play a QGD Semi-Tarrasch, I want to play pure Caro-Kann variations...

In my humble opinion, if you like the position (and in this case it seems you did) and it doesn't give you any new lines to learn (and in this case it doesn't), why should you worry what it's called or if it can be reached in two ways?

God played the Panov-Botvinnik attack against the Devil. ChessBase published the game in 2006.

The panov has always been my favorite choice against the caro kann . 

I've been playing the Two Knights Variation lately, but I have played the Panov and the Classical.

I know that IM pfren disapproved of 5...Nc6, but I'm really more and more thinking about playing 5...Nc6.

If White goes 6. Nc3 then we get into an endgame. It's definitely "solid, quiet, positional, slow, safe and strategic" since the Queens are off the board. And, since most people seem to think that White's advantage is extremely tiny if not non-existant in this endgame, it's also "objectively good, perfectly sound and reliable" (some memorization may be required, but if it just ends up into an equal endgame, it doesn't bother me).

If White goes 6. Bg5 then I was thinking of choosing the move 6...e6 which seems to lead to "solid, quiet, positional, slow, safe and strategic" positions. It also seems to be objectively good for Black (it's like 5...e6 6. Nf3 Be7 except that here White's dark squared Bishop is put on g5 which should be a good thing for Black if I'm not mistaken). And I highly doubt that we need to memorize "a string of another 25 moves of theory" to play 5...Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 since the play seems to be more quiet and positional in nature.

Any thoughts?

After 5...e6 do people worry about 6. c5 or 6. Nf3 Bb4 7. c5 at all? Seems more reasonable once Black commits his e-pawn