Caro-Kann - Good or bad?

Take a look at the large number of GMs who have played the Caro-Kann throughout their career.  When you see how many have played it, you realize all of the "bad" things you heard about it are rubbish.

I will admit that I spend more time than I should on openings, but that's because I LIKE openings!  It's fascinating to me all of the different ways there are to open a chess game, and the reasons behind the opening moves.  Isn't chess supposed to be fun too? 

You'll have fun learning the Caro-Kann, and you'll be a better player because of it.  But yes, try not to let it stop you from learning other things too, brushing up on tactics, endgame play, etc.

By the way, I'm also a long-time French player, but I also enjoy and play the Caro-Kann.  It's nice often not having that "problem" bishop that often occurs in the French.

Caro-Kann is good.

Anand, Karpov, Topalov, Ivanchuk, Carlsen, Kramnik, Adams, Seirawan, Petrosian, Smyslov, Speelman, Hort, Miles, and Tal are just of the few GMs who played it on a regular basis. 

If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. 

in the french you have a bad bishop but a strong center and in the caro you have a weak center but no bad bishop i think having a strong center is more important and thats why i think its weaker for example the advanced variation in the french is shit for white but in the caro its good because c5(its played) its not so strong

Well, you said that you like the positions that Black gets, so there's your answer.

Caro-Kann is a perfectly valid defense (see answer #5) and if you feel comfortable with it then it's good for you.

As a general rule, I think that the right opening for someone is the one in which you don't have the feeling of playing "an opening", but rather that you're simply playing chess. For example, I've tried the Caro myself, but after a while, after learning all the main variations, I was still feeling that I needed to check the book, that I don't understand what it's all about. On the other hand, when I was playing the Pirc it felt like it's obviously that this is how Black should develop, that all the pieces went to their natural squares, that all the players who use other defenses are completely blind. So my point is not that Caro is bad and Pirc is good, but that Caro was not for me the same way the Pirc was.

I think knowing a variety of openings is a good thing. Makes you less predictable, if your opponents are preparing for your, for one thing.

Also, knowing more openings is good if your opponent does happen to surprise you with sone bizarre sideline. Then you have a better chance of getting the game back into something you recognize.

And, knowing more openings means you will know more middlegames.

As far as the Caro-kann, I used to play it, when I was like 1500, 1600. Had to pay a lot of defense. If I happened to play somebody your level, I always played defense.

If that sounds god to your, go for it.

if youre really 2000, you should be able to make these decisions on your own. tho i like the french and will play winaever whenever possible because of teh wild positions it can lead to... ive been meaning to practice modern benoni, but barely anyone here palys 1.d4 

have you noticed that eveyone answering you, except for nebununpecal, is dramatically worse than you? (me included)

Well, I wouldn't say everyone is "dramatically" worse.    Gabe's USCF high is 1987, and I was USCF 1930 a couple of months ago.  (You can't judge online blitz ratings, since they don't mean very much.)

just going by information available, MrEdCollins. It is not personal, but Gabe's number's here on this site are DRAMATICALLY better than yours, and mine.

ok, so you are edcollins.com

still, let someone who is BETTER than this guy give him advice!

He IS stronger.  That much is clear.  His USCF rating is proof of that.  And yet that same rating is proof he is not MUCH stronger.  We are both in the same class.  We are both A players.

No, you didn't go by all of the information available, or you would have seen this.  We both choose to use our real name on this site, and our USCF ratings are publicly available for anyone to see.

A fellow A player can very easily give another A player advice.  He asked a question and I responded in kind with an answer.

Quiet down?  My posts aren't preventing anyone else from responding.  Furthermore, you haven't given him ANY advice at all.

Fair enough. Just assumed he was looking for advice from a player better than himself. I was wrong.

Why would I give him advice? He is far better than me. That would be both pretentious and presumtious, no?

Karpov played it, and as you know Karpov didn't like risky and complicated lines, so i think Caro-Kann must be pretty solid if you play accuratly.

Caro- kann was the grandson of ghengis i think.

Carol-kann was the granddaughter of ghengis?

Simply put the Caro is a positional opening. Sure it can be played aggressively as Black but it still remains quite positional which is why I guess so many GM's find comfort in its overall safety and soundness. The question then becomes if you can positional opening than the crapo kann is for you. If not, caps about all you are going to get in.....Personally, I like the Caro but lordy....if you don't know what you are doing you will get out played and squeezed to death at a great rate of knots

the caro kann is not bad i know a person rated 2100 how played the caro kann his whole life but its rather to taste what do you like more a strong center or better development

The advance variation is just what a CK player want: closed lines and manouvering.. Maybe white has more space, but so what? his pawn structure get a little weak too..