Caro-Kann: Panov-Botvinnik

Hi,

I'm planning to dive in to the Panov-Attack against the caro-kann and therefore have some questions:

- do you have any book recommondations which cover the panov-attack from the white perspective?

- do you think it is a proper choice against the caro-kann?

as a e4 player i have sort of made all the other choices what to play against various defences, but have never really understood the caro-kann and went for a kingside pawn-storm in the advance variation gaining tempos on that bishop (not knowing any theory about it and only having limited success ;S)

a reason i want to play the panov is because i find iqp positions quite interesting and it seems pretty likely to me that one might occur, aggressive play suites me as well (i at least believe so), which is why i believe the panov is a reasonable choice for me.

Thank you in advance

Hi, I have played the Panov for some time and am still unsure whether it is the best line. though you will certainly get IQP games. There is a book by Jacob Agaard, which I do not recommend. There is also a book by the Russian GM Alexander Baburin, who now lives in Dublin. He wrote a good book, which is now out of print, that covers the Panov. But it is difficult and requires a lot of study. Soviet school of chess stuff. My tipss: 

1. Book up on the four knights line where black brings out his bishop to g5. You have got to know it well.

2.  If you create a battery (with your queen on d3 and bishop on c2) remember to play a3 first. Figure out a way to continue the attack after black plays g6. 

Ok? cheers.

hi. I play the caro-kann as black and use a system against it as white. Its there in my games. For me its just familiarization with the opening based on experience i guess.

Here are some games in the ...Be7 setups that are common: http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.kenilworthchessclub.org/articles/opening/isolani/isolani-best-A.htm&sa=U&ei=KsXAUbzbHNDM0gHvsYCwBA&ved=0CD0QFjAE&usg=AFQjCNHUROcc_nRNfSlx0MaVyjonpydB6w

They don't look at positions after 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.ed cd 4.c4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Nf6 because this is really just a theoretical line and not very thematic. I like 6.cd Nxd5 7.Bc4. It's not the best but it leads to more normal IQP positions. There are still some interesting tactics possible in the opening and you also have to adjust to the bishop being on c4 rather than d3 but this is ok because you don't get in the habit of playing IQPs in the same exact way. 

I like to go for IQPs against the French w/ the exchange (3.Nd2 is possible too) and the queen's gambit to get practice in different positions. I also like the idea of 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 cd 6.cd Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Bxd2+ 8.Nxd2 d5 9.ed Nxd5 to get IQPs but 3....Nf6 among other things prevents that. It's something to think about though.

One note: There are several lines that transpose into the Semi-Tarrasch QGD.

thank you very much for all ur replies.

Winning Pawn Structure looks like a great book and although u might say thats its probably too much for my chess-stage, i cant resist but looking into it :)

i do have another question: where do you guys get opening variations from if its not from books? i may miss something obvious here, but when i try to research openings, the best i can get to is a wikipedia article with very little information. i also know there a such things as game databases, but what im looking for is actually a table-like thing, which just lists all the variations of the openings - is there such a thing?

Well there is the ECO list. You know, openings from A00 to E99 (something like that), the Caro-Kann openings are catagorized from B10 to B19, for instance.

Check out www.chessgames.com to search and play through games played by masters. You can search by opening, player, year, who won, etc.

I have this book on my shelf but I haven't read it yet. maybe, if you could browse he book before buying it...