Advance Shirov vs Advance Short in the caro kann

How do the two lines compare? Is one more aggresive than the other? What playing styles do they cater to? 

The Short Variation:

The Shirov Variation:

I would say the Shirov is far more aggressive, and far less sound, than the Short variation. White throws his pawns across the board leaving behind something resembling Swiss cheese with the attempt to brutally checkmate Black in the Shirov variation, while in the Short variation White has a bit of a slower buildup and does not leave behind the weaknesses.

Unfortunately Bd3 just gives up your good light-squared Bishop and allows Black easy equality (although in endgames Black tends to do better with the better Bishop)

I prefer the Short variation because:

1)There's no knight on c3 to block the c-pawn from advancing one step to support d4, especially in lines where black plays c5 to pressure that pawn.

2)White's "3 pawn cover" on the kingside is not broken, so his king will be safe castling kingside.

3)The light-squared bishop is developed and not sitting at home

4)White can castle instantly in Short, while in Shirov he has to move the bishop first. Unfortunately, the bishop is blocked by the knight, so he has to make at least two moves befroe castling.

Thanks for the clarification helltank and expertise. 

While we are on the subject of the caro-kann, what do you guys think of the panov- botvinik attack? Is it sound and is it for aggresive players?

Thank you Estragon.

The lines that I feel most comfortable with are actually the Panov- Botivinik attack and the Advance variation. The purpose of this post for me was to find out which variation would I use in which type of situation so thank you for clarifying the themes behind the variations so that I know which ones to use better. 

I think that here should talk people who knows these variations.

Bd3 seems like a positional error and actually it is! Tough it isn't the end of the world. Actually after Nc3 h5 or Qb6 white can hope to get a slight advantage with Bd3 as white will get a better development and more space(as long as he can avoid an ending with his bad BSB

4.Nf3 initiates a very quiet game. White just want to play simple chess and get some space to keep black pasive.

4.Nc3 usually leads to wild positions as after 4...e6 5.g4!?(if white does this one move before or against almost any other move black will play Bd7 with an improved french as white kingside is weak)5...Bg6 6.Nge2 now the fun begins. White plans to launch an offensive on the kingside by multiple plans: h4-h5 f4-f5 Ng3 Be3 Qd2 0-0-0.

The last option is the most difficult to play as it requires to know a lot of theory and analysis but not with the computer! it is very usual that the attack requires pawns sacrifices which computers only appreciate after some moves.

Actually, if Black plays the theoretically recommended lines, computers will never appreciate White's attack because it's nonexistent. :)

I recommend you to buy(or download) beating the carokan(by Vasilios Kotronias) and analise the games with 4...e6 5.g4 Bg6 6.Nge2 with houdini. Computer fails to see the compensation a lot of times. The autors who recommend to enter this variation usually recommend a timely h5. Anyway they avoid certain very interesting lines in the analisis.

Actually the main line avoids both the Short and Shirov variations with 3...c5(instead of Bf5).

i hate both variations i want to play the patzer way with f4