Where(How?) Exactly did the Caro-Kann Get its Reputation for Solidity?

Hello,

Everywhere, I find the Caro-Kann being referred to as one of the most solid defenses against 1.e4, but I'm not entirely sure of how this reputation came about. I've played it for a moment and can certainly verify its solidity, but is that the only reason why I hear all the time about it being a drawing weapon? Looking at stats in various databases, it doesn't seem to draw much more than other defenses. 

This comes from the beginnings of modern chess till gm players started treating the advance variation with 4.Nf3 or 3... c5. These are sharpet lines.

The solidity of the Caro-Kann is based on the move of the c-pawn by black to better develop the Queen's bishop in comparison to the French defence.

The sicillian also answers this question but in a much more aggressive way.

There have been a few important matches between top players where one player failed to win as White because the other played the Caro-Kann.

I suppose the world champions who used it relatively often were known for their solidity:

Capablanca (in a time when almost no one played it, he used it)

Botvinnik (world championship matches)

Petrosian (He was especially solid)

Karpov (Perhaps the most frequent user of the Caro-Kann)

Anand (He used to be more of an attacker/aggressive player, but he's also very solid, in the Capablanca mold.)

I'm not sure this is true. It's certainly true that some people just parrot what other people say, but from my own experience, the Caro-Kann and Berlin deserve to be in the same breath from the standpoint of solidity.

Absolutely! Of course, they're quite different, but they're similar in their tendency to lead to positions with few exploitable weaknesses. Some of the games I've enjoyed most have come from Berlin endgames and Caro-Kanns. These are two examples:

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/game-analysis/endgames-are-fun

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/game-analysis/a-berlin-endgame

Yeah, some lines like Bronstein-Larsen, some g7-g5 ideas in the Advance, the Tartakower, Korchnoi variations are kind of sharp, but it seems what's played more frequently are the main line classical and Karpov variations; no surprise these are the ones I'm more familiar with! :) What specifically do you mean by complimentary weakness for White? I'm not sure of what you mean by weakness in the Caro-kann, since there are a number of variations. Usually, in contrast to this, when people say Berlin, they mean the endgame.

Well,I am aware of the h-pawn in the main line, but what about Black's weaknesses? Your post is suggestive of Black having weaknesses for which White's weaknesses balance the position.

I see, so that's what you mean. Black does have space issues, though I think this shouldn't be such a problem, at least in my experience. 

Exactly, the position is relatively balanced.

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From my understanding the Caro kann gets his solid nature based on its pawn structure.

Since quiet often its pawn structure has no weaknesses.

Other line which is known for its solid nature is lines such as the Slav

Which can share in similar pawn structures.

I always play Kings Pawn

On a relatively unrelated note, I feel kind of like Yoda. 

Petrosian and Botvinnik both get so much credit for playing the caro kann and yet they both played the french more . It seems to me that the carokann was their second or third choice against 1 e4 ... 

There are quote marks around that passage because it is from a speech by an American business tycoon--really rich guy. He seems to be as strong in logic as some of the "geniuses" who post here.

If you keep stalking me, I'll call the police.

You shouldnt post if you cant get your facts straight .  Tal , Geller , Fine, Keres, Smyslov are just a few of the " weak " players Botvinnik played the french against . The more you post your nonsense the more I believe you are just a troll . 

I dont think Caro-Kann is solid!