THE CARO-KANN AND ITS UNDOING

Having now decided to set our hand to the plough with the Caro-Kann, we have to be aware of the dangers a good white response poses to our defence. Gotham Chess on YouTube offers a number of instruments to 'crush with the Caro-Kann,' while in reply Eric Rosen answers this with his response video, 'How to Crush the Caro-Kann.'

This of course is the classic Two Nights Attack, and as we can see there are a number of traps lying in wait for the black player if she or he is not careful. What we see in this attack is a devastating queen sacrifice and - caveat - there is a number of variations to this line. Rosen does not limit his response to this either, but offers us a series of monster replies to the Caro-Kann.

All of a sudden, choosing the Caro-Kann no longer seems like such a hot decision after all. But then we have the wonderful introduction videos from Hanging Pawns to reassure us. So, for this reason I have taken the time to curate a playlist of the material.

What we see from this, then, is that - yes - the Caro-Kann does offer a fighting chance for black, but for this to be the case the black player has to do some homework. We have to understand the theory behind the Caro-Kann and also have a sophisticated working knowledge of the attacks and traps most commonly used against it.

If it is encouraging, it is probably worth saying that I have noticed an increase in my wins playing the Caro-Kann after some study. Not even that much study, just after enough to know what might be coming and how to deal with it. Doing the extra work off the board really does make a difference, but better chess players already knew this.

Jason Michael McCann