Opinions on the Caro-Kann

What are your opinions on the Caro-Kann? I'm just asking because a friend of mine who's a beginner plays it a lot. Personally, I don't think it's that good, and that it's even worse for a beginner.

1. Development is slow
In the most played line the Advanced Variation, your kingside development is slow.
2. Variations
a. Not all Caro-Kann players know how to play against different variations. I'm going to use that friend from before as an example. When playing it against me, they played the main line advanced and got their bishop trapped from 3. ..Bf5 4. h4 e6.

b. Also, when I play the exchange, I play the Panov variation (4. c4), and they take the pawn instead of playing Nf6.

c. Finally, in the classical variation, they have lost their bishop again because of h4 h5 again.

Because of these, I don't think the Caro-Kann is good, especially for beginers, so I want to know why people play it and why do they tell beginners to play it?

It’s not terrible. Agressive and good for casual players and beginners. At high levels? No. Just play e5 or the Sicilian.

But how is it aggressive though? Most beginners watch GothamChess and think they should try it out just to put their pieces on the wrong squares and not understand the game plan for it. The main times I see it work are when higher rated players are playing against lower rated players.

Yes, I would not recommend it. It’s just aggresive because of the way it pushes on whites pawn structure, and the caro kann gambit thing with c5 after they push. Idk I use to play it when I started with it and have a 37-ish percent win rate with it, whereas with queens gambit accepted or declined I got about 60% with draw rate not included. I think e5 is just a classic response to e4, or if you really want to spice it up c5. I wouldn’t recommend learning it.

The Caro is a great opening for beginners. I would not recommend 3...Bf5 against the Advance for beginners as it's a bit complicated, 3...c5 is a better idea.

You could come with all these same anecdotes for anything. "Oh e4 e5 is bad because I played the Fried Liver and then they lost". OK? What the data shows in the Lichess database is that the top scoring replies to 1. e4 for beginners are c6 and c5. That doesn't mean they're necessarily best (you could argue that 1...e5 is better for progression, although I would disagree) but the idea that 1...c6 does not perform well is simply not true.

By the way, massacring the Advance Variation with 3...c5 was my bread and butter as a Caro player. I just looked up my Lichess stats and I was winning 61%-38% in the Advance. The reason I quit the Caro was the Exchange variation, partly because I was not winning at it (losing 51%-46%, but to be honest that's just standard for Black) but mostly because it was driving me insane playing that position over and over.

I still don’t like it.

OP, great name and picture. As far as the Caro is concerned, my opinion is influenced by the fact I play 1. e4 e5 instead of a half-open defense, so I have no experience playing it. Since no professionals in chess condemn it, I accept that it must be a sound defense. However, for developing players, I think beginners/ novices are better served by playing 1.e4 e5 instead of half-open defenses.

BTW, I play the Panov Attack when facing the Caro-Kann. If the center opens up I get a fun game, if not it becomes, more often than not, an ugly grind.

One has to know and understand a bit the history of openings.

In the 1.e4 openings, it is generaly considered that, if you make it to push (as Black) d5 without suffering bad consequences, you then equalized. (after which you may seek for an advantage).

The Scandinavian, French, some lines of the Sicilian, and the Caro Kann Defenses are various attempts to achieve this goal.

This fits the idea, that Black has to equalize first before to seek an advantage. Other openings I won't name here, try to seek for an advantage almost immediatly, increasing the chances of decicive outcome, yet, not alway of the desired type...

Anyhow, with the Caro Kann Defense, Black tries to reach an endgame where Black should prevail due to the weak White d4 pawn. Hence, to siege and capture this pawn, then convert that advantage into a win. That is, of course, within the Advance variation where White pushes e4 to e5 in response to d5 by Black.

The downside of this plan, is that Black concedes a significant space adavntage to White on the King's side, taking the bet to survive the White assaults and reach the desired winning endgame.

It's slow, yet, aggressive.

Personally I think that the advanced variation is very solid for peo0ple willing to put enough time into studying like 1 to 2 lines but I generally think that the exchange is very monotonous in play so maybe not the best online but over the board it should be okay to play for most people

Hi!

I think the Caro Kann is a good defense to 1.e4 and the choice of many great players. However, I agree it is not the best option for novice players, for whom I usually recommend the symmetrical reply 1. e4, e5.

I've written several posts with my suggestions for an opening repertoire, if you are interested, you can find them on my blog — I focus on practical, easy‑to‑apply ideas for club players.: arielfernandez’s Blog - Chess.com

Good luck!

maafernan chess coach

i dont like caro kann, i prefer bongcloud

A man of great taste

Very nicely written.

And just days ago, it seemed you had given up on the community. The community compels you.

Rhymes with haste and waste. Just saying

That's the spirit