1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.g4...
Gambits against the caro kann
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Fantasy Variation.
There are a couple of gambits of varying degrees of respectability.
Since you are a premium member, you can look at Simon Williams's video on the Hill Billy attack if you're interested. Simon always give colorful variations if nothing else.
Apr 17, 2017
0
#5
G_kadas wrote:
I'm finding it very difficult to find a gambit against the solid defense. Hard to find something which promotes aggressive chess at all when faced with it.
I've been playing the Slav for some time, but since it transposes sometimes into it's 1...c6 cousin, the Caro-Kann, I decided to give the Caro a try as my main defense against 1 e4. I find that it's harder, as Black, to gain the initiative but it's also much more forgiving if you make a couple passive moves instead of better, more aggressive moves. I like it so far, though you have to work hard as Black not to get too cramped to shift your defense as needed.
It's also got built-in plans that you should consider disrupting as White: Black wants to get the QB outside his pawn chain and exchange it when the opportunity arises, take an opponent's P with your QP when practical so he can post a N at d5, take away e5 and c5 as possible opponent N-outposts, play c6-c5 when he has developed enough to do so and attack the Q-side or, if his opponent played the advance variation and is allocating to much protection to the based of White's center-pawn chain, look at f6 and a K-side push.
As white any gambits or other moves that disrupt those plans are what I look for when playing the Caro Kann as White.
Apr 17, 2017
0
#6
SmithyQ wrote:
There are a couple of gambits of varying degrees of respectability.
Since you are a premium member, you can look at Simon Williams's video on the Hill Billy attack if you're interested. Simon always give colorful variations if nothing else.
Thanks for an extensive lesson! I copied the pgn of your example to my Caro-Kann computer folder and watched the first half of the the GM William's Hillbilly Attack and may try it, though ChessKing's extensive database shows that for the position after 1 e4 c6 2 Bc4 d5 3 Bb3 dxe4 4 Qh5 there were 14 White wins, 9 draws, and 27 Black wins. I'll have to look at how the variations went from there but you have to like White's early development compared to Black!
A Quick Google also turned up some good Hillybilly stuff:
https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-birth-and-development-of-the-hillbilly-attack (GM Williams)
A live GM Simon Williams Hillbilly Attack vs a 2198 blitz opponent:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqSdZ64wTIY
A 2-part YouTube Hillbilly Attack Video series, about 31 minutes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQWRtPHA1yE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdPTONY9uaI&spfreload=10
Crush The Caro-Kann - Chess Openings Explained (Jonathan Schrantz, St. Louis Chess Club):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUZAyFpMQxw
There's a five pawn sacrifice against the Caro that was worked out by a player at the Bolton (UK) club, called Surtees, over a period of about three or four years. I once played it otb slowplay and won with it.
1.e4 c6 2.Bc4?! is known to be bad. Of course it's possible to drum up attacking chances in unknown openings (because it's bad!) but if it became mainstream, it wouldn't last six months. The pawn hits the B with gain of tempo and that's all there is to it. I've faced it a few times otb and online and I probably nearly always won.
http://www.chessmastery.co.uk/articles/mike-surtees-and-his-revolutionary-opening-theory/
I helped him a bit in developing it, back in the late 90s. I always used to play 1.e4 ...c6 2. Ne2 myself. It's interesting and worth investigating by those who don't know it.
Apr 19, 2017
0
#10
There aren't any particularly sound gambits against the Caro-Kann.
I don't consider the "Fantasy Gambit" mentioned above (5...exd4?! 6. Bc4!) to be a gambit. White will clearly get the pawn back; at worst immediately, and possibly a lot more if Black is not very careful.
Against 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5, 4. g4 is not good at all, and it's not really a gambit.
is the main line for black refuting the mieses gambit, which i stumbled on by accident. it's only played 17% of the time. 4...exf3? is played 78% of the time and after maroczy fantasy/BDG like 5.Nxf3, black gets into trouble with ...Nf6 & ...Bg4 after 6.Bc4 & 7.Bxf7+ breaking the pin. until black figures it out, I'll keep getting free points off him using my king's gambit tactics
i had terrible results with maroczy fantasy, and played a few hillbilly attacks, but not "on purpose"
if you REALLY want to get aggressive, look into the cave man attack. I studied it with stalefish against a dozen engines, and white crushed everything except one over the board SIDE LINE that is good for equality. meanwhile, black is losing in pretty much every other line by move 15
G_kadas wrote:
I'm finding it very difficult to find a gambit against the solid defense. Hard to find something which promotes aggressive chess at all when faced with it.
Good !
Thats literally the idea of the Caro-Kann. 
tmkroll wrote:
Fantasy Variation.
And now ?
White is being impatient. Maintain the tension with 4. Nd2 maybe.
OK better to accept that 4. f3 isn't very good.
SmithyQ wrote:
There are a couple of gambits of varying degrees of respectability.
Since you are a premium member, you can look at Simon Williams's video on the Hill Billy attack if you're interested. Simon always give colorful variations if nothing else.
I dont understand your posting too much.
Personally I dont play dxe4 because that kind of justifies 3. f3, for white can now play fxe4 and have f3 again for the knight.
But Stockfish says dxe4 is totally playable, in fact it leads to a very equivalent position:
So if I would play dxe4 I would of course learn the correct moves after that.
You however show a weak move for black instead. Why would black play this weak move ?
I'm finding it very difficult to find a gambit against the solid defense. Hard to find something which promotes aggressive chess at all when faced with it.