What are your thoughts on the caro kann advance variation?? I find it hard to play it as black. White usually have a kingside expansion leaving black's pieces suffocated.

get the bishop out to f5. play e6 then force c5. this can be played like a french defence.

i know that. But after 3... Bf5 4.g4 Be4 5.f3 Bg6 6.h4 h5.Black's position looks doesnt look too good. 

Maybe not if you were planning o-o. castle queenside and make the kingside pawns TARGETS

I used to play this as white, but was never comfortable, black's pieces seemed to make an easy target of my center pawns while it was hard for me to attack.  I play 3.Nc3 now :p

sorry i haddn't looked at your rating, of course you knew that! i played the care-kann for years trying to avoid the ruy lopez. my positions as black alway looked bad so i stopped playing it

Blacks position is amazing after the moves you gave, white is losing.

True pfren, but if white plays Ne2 what's the point of the early g4? Seems like white is at best equal and can that equality be maintained? It's like a worse version of the Shirov where whites missing Nc3 and has replaced it with f3.

Though to be honest I havent really studied that position.

@ pfren 7. e6!? fxe6 8.g5! Black is all crammed up.

I see. Qd6 is also threatening Qg3.

Shankland has a good series on the caro kann that includes good points on the advance variation... he looks at that petty g4 and h4 stuff.

i play this.

maybe post a game so i can help? I think as long as u play into a french pawn structure with your light square bishop out of the pawn chain. there shouldnt be too much to handle.