Playing 2 c4 vs the Caro Kann

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MrZugzwang

This is cross posted from a neighboring forum, so apologies if I'm wasting valuable bandwidth, but here is a game between a couple of 2600 GMs featuring the unusual 2nd move 2 c4 in the Caro Kann.  This often transposes in to the Panov-Botvinik attack, but not always.  In the move list to this game I have shown the three lines in MCO 15 that do NOT transpose into the Panov, as well as some lines from the 2007 book "Play the Caro-Kann" by IM Jovanka Houska (Everyman Chess).

Just FWIW, in case there are any Caro-Kann fans out there who want to weigh in and who missed the other thread.  

The Opening Theory is in the move list, and will not appear if you just go through the moves in the stem game, but will appear on the board if you click the variation in the Move List.  

MrZugzwang

PS, near the end of the game both GM's prove they are human like the rest of us Tongue out

estevon

Excellence.

MrZugzwang

John Watson fans may have already gotten their copies of his brand new "Mastering the Chess Openings - Vol 3" which covers the English Opening.  I note with interest that on page 12 of the new book he specifically promises to spend time on one of the Caro - Kann variations shown above.  This is despite the fact that he has already covered the Caro Kann in Vol 1 of the series.  He apparently considers this system to be significant as a flank opening in its own right.  I think that's pretty interesting.  Here is the line he mentions:

1 e4  c6  2  c4  d5  3  exd5  cxd5  4 cxd5  Nf6  5  Qa4+

WanderingWinder

Carlsen played this a few days ago in his round 12 win in the Corus tournament at Wijk Aan Zee. http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=5189

Saccadic

I have always been a strong proponent of 2.c4, and play it as White whenever facing the Caro-Kann.