I like to play sharp tactical positions, especially with white. I usually don't have much trouble generating these kind of positions against other black defences, but against the Caro I find that often the game just turns into a dry technical struggle without any tactical opportunities. Currently I play the mainline (3.Nc3) and I like playing the positions after 4...Nf6 because the position is imbalanced, and I hardly ever see 4...Nd7 but it looks somewhat interesting. My main issue is the the classical variaion (4...Bf5) because it almost always leads to a boring position. Especially the old classical mainline (5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7) which I know like 18 moves deep and have played a few times and usually I get nothing out of the variation except a rather drawish simplified middle/endgame.

Now I ask you, 1.e4 players, what do you prefer against the Caro-Kann. I am looking at the advanced variation currently, and it seems alright, but at the same time I feel like black can just get an improved french defense with his bishop outside the pawn chain. I also have some interest in the fantasy variation (3.f3) but after 3...e6 4.Nc3 Bb4 whites position looks rather fragile to me and I am not sure if there would be any compensation for having a bad pawn structure or losing a pawn as in some lines. I thought about playing the panov/botvinnik attack but I am not a big fan of isolated pawns. Any ideas?

 Please elaborate, I thought the bishops opening was a line after 1.e4 e5?

By the way I don't really care if I get an opening advantage against the Caro or not, I just want to find a way to unbalance the position more and generate attacking chances. By no means do I want a line that can be refuted by a well prepared opponent. Something aggressive but solid enough for tournament play would be great.

ok here are 2 sharp replies that i know of:

1) a reply similar to the blackmar diemer: 1)e4 c6 2)d4 d5 3) Nc3 PxP 4) f3 PxP 5)NxP...and so forth

2) If you do not want to play gambits then you can use the system i use called the tal variation which is: 1)e4 c6 2)d4 d5 3)e5 Bc5 4)h4..(if hs is played then 5)g4 and then 6)e6!? is very interesting) so really h5 should be played by black and then go for c4 or something:)

hope this helps

 Thanks. I usually don't play gambits in games with fairly long time controls, but I might look into the first choice for a surprise weapon in blitz or something. The second does look quite interesting, white starts the pawn storm right away it seems and I bet some black players will get worried by this for sure. I will look into it some more.

I play the panov-botvinnik attack, it looks like this

An early c4 sharpens things up. For example, either 1.e4 c6 2.c4 (Accelerated Panov Attack) or 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 (Panov Attack) should do the trick.

Here's how the first line often goes:

Here's a game I played a year ago in a similar line. Sharp enough for you?

dont forget the exchange. it is simple to play. impeads the light squared bishops development and if black plays passively white has all the attacking chances

Take a close look at this line.  It is a pawn sac, but even rybka thinks white retains an advantage afterwards.  (very difficult for a black, I should know, i played the caro with black until i ran into this a few times.) Good luck!

The sharpest lines against the caro are the advance variation and the panov attack. If you want something safe and solid I doubt the exchange variation can be beat but I believe its just equal.

If you like to attack try the advance variation. It's sharper, but surprisingly there is less theory to memorize than the mainline with Nc3.

likesforests similar to your version:

I second this recommendation. Choose between them based on your preference.

A note of instruction to the original poster: I think you would benefit from a study of IQP positions. It's a very important themed position to know how to play. If you get "good" at it, and really spend time to learn the details of what white and black want to do, how they go about doing it, and what games look like when both players know what they are doing, then you will be much better off.

Speaking from experience, I typically know the IQP positions better than my opponent, and so I love playing the Panov attack against the Caro-Kann. It is very difficult to defend as black, and the only thing they typically hope for is to get a better endgame, which isn't always winnable.

If you learn the IQP position well, you will be able to win from both sides of the Panov attack. I would recommend that choice, as it is more generally applicable than the Caro-Kann Advance variation.

 i prefer to as white move my pawns further up the board after the caro- kann deffense

I think if you are gunning for a draw as black, against e4, the Caro-Kann is a good choice.  But certain chess players are not satisfied to draw, so they push that c pawn an extra square up.

The reason white loses against the Caro-Kann is impatience.  Immature, speculating attacks will only make this defense happy.  Be prepared for an 80 move chess game as white, if you hope to take it down....

Thanks for all the feedback guys! I was really considering the advance variation but the accelerated panov attack looks really interesting too so I think I will give that a try for sure. That line erad posted seems worth a try, I am not so sure how good the compensation is but atleast it is more exciting than 13.Ne4 followed by 14.g3 etc.

I really need to study those IQP positions though, it is true. That and other themes are much more important at my level than openings, I am just trying to get a decent repertoire going right now.

To paraphrase this, yes I agree that white should be content with a typical small edge. Learning how to play with such an edge does require the development of chess patience.

I disagree that it would take 80 moves - generally a small opening edge will either turn into a real edge or equality by move 30.

Oh just one more thing. What do you guys think of the fantasy variation? I am a bit skeptical of it but now that I look in my database it is actually the highest scoring variation for white, and some strong players (2700+) have played it with success. I seems sharp but also looks a little risky, any thoughts?

Jovanka Houska writes in Play the Caro-Kann: "A few years ago, after being in a quandary about what to play against Grandmaster Keith Arkell, I decided to try out the Fantasy Variation in the hope that I could draw him away from his beloved endgames and into a tactical mess. My approach didn't work at all: not only did I not get into a tactical position but I lost horribly in an endgame... Anyway, what made the biggest impact on me was that during the post-mortem of the game Keith said he felt that playing the pawn to f3 was a serious positional concession to Black: White hampers the development of his own kingside pieces and simply makes the dark squares around the king very weak. I touched the opening only once more after that."

there is only 1 defense against it. place ur index finger on the top of the king and push.