Opinions on the Caro-Kann - Chess Forums - Page 2

11 days ago

0

#21

It’s a good opening but against the fantasy variation you basically lose the game immediately

this is one of the cases where i said you just need to know some varitions easiest way is to avoid the main fantasy lines and play like 3 Qb6 or something off track

Zidanefre

11 days ago

0

#22

Goatmaan wrote:

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?

is your friend 700 rated and forgets every game he plays? The opening is one of the more reasonable and logical openings that you can introduce to a beginner. You take space in the center and support it with a pawn. Then, you develop pieces. Finally, you try to equalize space with c5 or some other pawn move.

White has aggressive options like chucking h4 g4 early on, but you can either learn not to get your bishop trapped (this should be easy) or simply play a different variation earlier on.

Zidanefre

11 days ago

0

#23

Goatmaan wrote:

fraserhm wrote:

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.

this happens because beginners watch gothamchess, and they stay beginners because they forget everything they learn. That's why they play the opening wrong and put all their pieces on ridiculous squares and give all their pieces away. It doesn't have anything to do with the opening itself.

Zidanefre

11 days ago

0

#24

Drewjz wrote:

Goatmaan wrote:

fraserhm wrote:

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.

As an experienced Caro-Kann player, it's not aggressive at all. In my opinion, beginners can play the opening as long as they learn some of the theory and plans, and they can win lots of games. If they don't want to learn theory at all, they should play e4 e5 but then it's almost impossible to win.

IMO, Theory is probably the most important in e4 e5. Why? Because every half-step intermediate player (i.e. players who are beginners, but have a higher rating than they deserve because they only play traps) plays some ridiculous gambit, like the italian gambit, nahkmenson (or however you spell it), goring gambit, danish gambit, center game (while not a gambit, it is in spirit), the ursurov gambit, and more.

There are even more reasonable options, such as the ponziani which could gambit the e-pawn; the vienna gambit, which needs no introduction; the evans gambit, which has been played by kasparov; and even the old italian c3 mainline gambit, and the scotch gambit. White's options are ridiculously wide, and even the worst of them, like the jerome gambit, provides practical chances at the very least.

If black doesn't really know how to play against these, he's essentially gambling that he'll figure out the right move while under fire, which I find to be a poor way to gamble.

fraserhm

10 days ago

0

#25

Drewjz wrote:

Goatmaan wrote:

fraserhm wrote:

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.

As an experienced Caro-Kann player, it's not aggressive at all. In my opinion, beginners can play the opening as long as they learn some of the theory and plans, and they can win lots of games. If they don't want to learn theory at all, they should play e4 e5 but then it's almost impossible to win.

Maybe it’s just some of the caro players I’ve played are aggressive, not the opening…