No,other way around. It is a poor man's caro-kann.
really?
It's a way to get the stock Caro structure, but cutting out most white alternative options at the cost of some time in development.
It's a way to get the stock Caro structure, but cutting out most white alternative options at the cost of some time in development.
And that loss of time in development is why it is a poor man's caro!
Your set up may not be nest for Black.
If only Karpov had noticed this during his years using the Caro Kann as number 1 in the world. He must feel very silly now if he reads this thread.
It's a way to get the stock Caro structure, but cutting out most white alternative options at the cost of some time in development.
And that loss of time in development is why it is a poor man's caro!
My good friend GM Kotronias racked his brains to find a white advantage in the 3...Qd6 "Tiviakov Scandinavian". He failed, and eventually added this in his Black repertoire, and authored a very good book on it. Most of his analysis in his book still stands, excluding a single variation (on the 6.h3 line), where Black's improvement is already known.
what do you think?