Caro Kann Advanced

by Nikola Dereban
(Struga, Macedonia)

Caro Kann - Advanced Line

The Caro Kann defense is named after H. Caro of Berlin and M. Kann of Vienna who analyzed this strategic game play somewhere in the 1980’s. Then this move was popularized by people such as the famous Cuban chess player Jose Raul Capablanca.

The Caro Kann defense starts with White moving its pawn to e4 and the black player responding to moving his pawn to c6. The normal continuation and what is basically the eighty per cent of all chest plays is the white moving his pawn to d4 and the black to d5 although there are other moves available. This is known as the general initial set up for the Caro Kann defense.

This way Black is going to give up his central pawn for mobility. His bishop on c8 is not going to be trapped. This is unlike in the French where Black holds a center pawn and gives up mobility and the bishop on c8 is trapped. There are three normal continuations for white from this position.

The most common one is Nc3 or Nd2 with the same effect. White can also decide to take the central pawn from Black which is known as the exchange variation or he can advance the pawn which is called the advance variation. The advance variation is more like the French Defense.

In this position the first thing that Black will want to do is play Bf5. White can play Nf3, helping to protect the d4 pawn. Black is going to move a pawn to e6 supporting d5 and f5. White can play Be2. Black can play Nd7 to support the movement of the pawn from c6 to c5. White will castle here. Black can play Ne7. White will try Nh4 to attack the bishop on f5. Black retreat’s his bishop to g6.

White will play Nd2 to eventually come to f3. Black will move his pawn to c5 attacking the white pawn at d4. White will play c3. Black will bring his knight to c6 once again trying to attack the white pawn on d4. Then the Black bishop is protected only by pawns to the rear and White will capture with Nxg6. The Black pawn will take the White knight on g6. And this is the advanced variation of this game. Play through the moves here.