the french is the agressive, counterattacking variation of the caro kann and is playable every upto the super gm level
the caro is more slower, passive, and they just hide behind their slav structure and try to trade everything off and hope to win an endgame
It's a very hard choice. French requires less theory but the exchanges of pawns is d*mn annoying. Caro, is for people who like to play solidly, but french is more hyperactive. My favorite is the sicilian though...
The title CaroKann vs French defense has been repeated a lot. To future threads, I suggest
Calvin Klein vs Fendi
1...e5 > 1...c5 > 1...e6 > 1...c6
caro
Fact:
I crush French Defense all the time, almost systematically.
Against Caro Kann I just try to improvise and I play for tricks (=Acc. Panov).
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I don't play Caro Kann myself just because I think it's ugly (=I don't know how to continue the middlegame), and because Sicilian applies more to me. But if you talk about holding off attacks - CK by a Margin.
Here, I tried the "wonderful" Fantasy Variation once, this is what I got... talking about the difference between theory and practice lol (the computer says White is winning).
And the chess experts will excuse me when I say I prefer two knights, a pawn, and a bad king, in exchange for the black queen, but Black doesn't even need that.
"Which is the better opening for someone who does not want to spend too much time studying theory and is not very good?
French is better for you.
Also can anyone suggest a defense for d4 openings?
QGA against Queen's Gambit. c6 against London System.
And a good way to study these openings or openings in general?
And/Or Watching Anand's games in that opening, on chessgames.com
French Defense expert today is GM Yury Shulman, I learned one thing from his games:
Bd6, Ne7, Nbc6. If you don't want a very boring Exchange French.
caro-kann: tal variation is peak for white pieces
I hate the French from both sides. I hate facing the Caro-Kann. The CK allows black to develop his light square bishop outside of the pawn chain. The CK requires more knowledge of pawn breaks, although you must know pawn breaks for both openings. Be aware if you play the CK you must know the Slav as well because white can play 1. e4 c 6 2. d4 transposing. Derrick Kelley on YouTube talks about both openings if you just look him up on YouTube. The videos are about 10 minutes an opening. Be sure to understand the middle game plans for the side of the opening you wish to play. As you learn the opening more understand the opponents plans as well.
The Center Counter has a lot of similarities with the Caro-Kann (The Classical var and the Bronstein-Larsen var just to name a few) Caro-Kann is so close... it's an extension . My thinking... I'll have both... and can bounce back and forth.
but then if you play against another player who will attack your bishop, it doesn't work well