Caro Kann Defense: Bronstein Style

Submitted by GreenLaser on Fri, 05/16/2008 at 2:19pm.

I have played many defenses against 1.e4. Despite that I became known as a player of the Caro Kann. Perhaps, wearing a tee shirt that said, "UNIVERSITY OF CARO" on the front helped to promote that notion. The back said, LINA," completing the name of the university. I have played numerous variations of the Caro Kann Defense with both black and white. Against a FIDE master, against whom I had an excellent record after about 15 games, I played the Sicilian Defense for the first time in our games. An international master on the next board moved my pawn from c5 back to c6, as if I had made a mistake! After correcting our neighbor's joke, I started a streak of beating the FM with the Sicilian.

The following game shows the King's Knight Variation of the Caro Kann. This line is often called the Bronstein Variation because of that grandmaster's use of it. It sometimes leads to attacks by Black on White's kingside, as in this game. Sometimes it leads to endgames that Black enjoys. Of course, White also plays to win. The move 4...Nf6 is less popular than either 4...Bf5 or 4...Nd7.

My opponent in this game is Victor Ying, one of many young players who came out of the Bronx Yonkers Chess Club (now the Bob Peretz CC) to achieve a rating of about 2200.

» posted in Opening Theory

1799 reads | 13 comments |

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by Dollinski - 48 days ago
London United Kingdom

Member Since: Dec 2007
Member Points: 1

It seems to me that white is getting hopelessly boxed in by 13. bE3 and can't easily break out. Does anybody have a good suggestion whereby white could turn things around here?

by NM GreenLaser - 51 days ago
Chester, NY United States

Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 463

chopra, White castles on the kingside very often in this line. 9.0-0 was not too risky. White's play later was not best. See the move list for 13.Bxg6.

by chopra - 52 days ago
venezuela Venezuela

Member Since: Jul 2007
Member Points: 92

The early exchange of knights that opened g line for blacks, would be a good reason for whites to long castle, because 0-0 was too risky.

by NM GreenLaser - 52 days ago
Chester, NY United States

Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 463

furrer, 5.Ng5 is certainly possible. Black should have good chances with choices of Bf5, Nbd7, h6, and e6. Perhaps, the idea "Always give a fish a choice," would confuse a Black player ready for only one line. That should not lead to disaster soon here, but the absence of a plan by Black could hurt. If White should play 5.Ng5, it should be with a plan other than avoiding exchanging knights.

by furrer - 52 days ago
Denmark

Member Since: May 2008
Member Points: 50

Good writted, just a while ago changed my opening against e4, and if I head read that article back then, I would perhaps has choosen the Caro-Kann. But when you get 2 books about the French Defense from an ex World Champion in correspondence chess, then its hard to play something else.

Back to the topic:

Isnt it possible 5. Ng5, or is that a part of the Bd3 variation?