Beat the Caro-Kann

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Avatar of Santoy

I have always enjoyed pretty good success against the Caro-Kann with the advanced variation and 4. h4 but this seems to have become almost main line now and players are well prepared for it.

I need another weapon. Do you think that the Fantasy variation is playable against 2000-2200?

Any other ideas?

Avatar of KevinOSh

There is a chess.com lesson called The Complete Caro by GM Shankland. You should check it out. He does not rate the Fantasy variation very highly.

Avatar of Alancoult52

The panov-botvinnik attack has been played by Carlson,Ivanchuk,Kasparov,Krammik,Tal,   and of course Panov and Botvinnik at the highest level with success. I personally haven't had much success with it but than again I suck at this game.

Avatar of Bramblyspam

The Fantasy variation is definitely playable up to the super-GM level. Caruana, So, and MVL have all used it against elite competition in 2021.

Avatar of Stil1
Santoy wrote:

Do you think that the Fantasy variation is playable against 2000-2200?

Any other ideas?

Yes, the Fantasy is quite playable at any level. Even at the Grandmaster level.

The Breyer variation is also an interesting option.

It's basically white playing the King's Indian Attack, against the Caro-Kann.

.

Avatar of adityasaxena4

there's also 2.b4 and 2.c3 or 2.c4

as in :

1.e4 c6 2.b4 > Caro-Kann Defence : Labahn Attack 

1.e4 c6 2.c3 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.d4 > Caro-Kann Defence : Advance Variation 4.c3 

1.e4 c6 2.c4 d5 3.d4 > Slav Defence : Diemer Gambit via Caro-Kann Defence : Accelerated Panov Attack

Avatar of tygxc

3 f3: even playable to success in the world championship candidates' tournament
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2042163 

Avatar of pwnsrppl2

Panov and KIA annoy me most.

Avatar of EKAFC

Avatar of Solmyr1234

Listen to EKAFC, he's very strong at opening theory, I consult him sometimes.

My idea [but I'm a fool, and I don't even play e4], is this:

Just choke it!
 

The arrows are only if the position allows it. which it doesn't..

Flip the board - would you like to be Black here?...

===

Based on:

17:35

Not because he's that good a player, but he plays Caro Kann, and he hate to face it, so...

 

Avatar of Solmyr1234

Come to think of it, this is similar to what GM Shankland is suggesting against the London System!

https://www.chessable.com/short-sweet-semi-slav/course/35319/