i don't play CK because it's boring. but i do enjoy playing against it
Uhm, the Caro-Kann is NOT boring by any stretch of the imagination. Here's the proof!
10 moves into the game and I already get the feeling white has never played the Caro Kann before.
Black is aiming for c5 or e5 in this pawn structure.
Or how about you just play one of those on move 1 and save yourself the trouble?
If I wanted to play a less popular line I would pick a pet line out of the Sicilian like maybe the Kan for something similarly positional, nonforcing, and solid. Or maybe just the French. At least with these choices you generally get active play and don't have to defend until the endgame comes around.
Black is aiming for c5 or e5 in this pawn structure.
Or how about you just play one of those on move 1 and save yourself the trouble?
If I wanted to play a less popular line I would pick a pet line out of the Sicilian like maybe the Kan for something similarly positional, nonforcing, and solid. Or maybe just the French. At least with these choices you generally get active play and don't have to defend until the endgame comes around.
Well, white is aiming for e4 in a lot of d4 lines. Why not play 1. e4 and save yourself the trouble? And vice versa.
Do you dedicated CK players find the opening gets you to favorable endgames more often than other openings?
You usually end up with a healthy pawn structure and the better bishop. White often ends up with overextended and thus vulnerable pawns either in the center or on the kingside.
For example, in the Main Line of the Classical Variation, white's h-pawn gets pushed to h5. Or in the advance variation with 4. Nc3, white plays 5. g4 and later h4, h5.
Well, white is aiming for e4 in a lot of d4 lines. Why not play 1. e4 and save yourself the trouble? And vice versa.
I wholeheartedly agree.
Seriously though.
I only play 1.e4 and I can't help but chuckle when I see commentators give 20.e4 a dozen exclamations when you can just start the game off with it.
maybe it is because it played at a good time
Well, white is aiming for e4 in a lot of d4 lines. Why not play 1. e4 and save yourself the trouble? And vice versa.
I wholeheartedly agree.
I beg to differ. 1...e5, 1...c6, and certain lines of the Sicilian (i.e. Najdorf, Scheveningen, Classical, Taimanov, etc - NOT the Dragon [a dead draw] or any of the corny lines that hand the advantage right over to White, like the Four Knights Sicilian, Pin Variation, Nimzovich Variation, etc) make 1.e4 worse than 1.d4. After 1.d4, Black's got problems in all lines.
Thrillerfan , you completely missed the point of post #53. Thank you & have a good day.
Seriously though.
I only play 1.e4 and I can't help but chuckle when I see commentators give 20.e4 a dozen exclamations when you can just start the game off with it.
Also, when they give d4! a bunch of exclamations, when you can just start the game off with it!
Thrillerfan , you completely missed the point of post #53. Thank you & have a good day.
Chessterd5, you obviously missed the whole point as well. Your post 53 is bogus, and the way you are trying to twist it can be said about ANY DEFENSE! White can choose the Closed, Open, Grand Prix or Morra against 1...c5 just as much as he can choose between Panov, Exchange, Advance, or Main Line against the Caro-Kann, or Exchange, Advance, Tarrasch, KIA, or Nc3 lines against the French.
So whatever "purpose" your point is intended to have is completely useless.
Also, when they give d4! a bunch of exclamations, when you can just start the game off with it!
But that generally doesn't happen. d4 is not only expected in most 1.e4 openings, but it's actually mainline.
Here are my most frequent openings at the moment:
The list goes on and on..
In the Scotch Gambit do you play into this line (i.e. the known line from the old d4 from the Italian) or avoid it? e.g. with e5.
http://www.chess.com/echess/game?id=76448522
http://www.chess.com/echess/game?id=77589518
I play the Caro. A friend of mine + 2400 Fide told me I should look into playing the center counter because it's similar to the Caro but avoids a lot of lines that require lots of theory. It's possible other Caro players have heard the same advice. There's a lots of e4 d5 players out there today. Maybe ex Caro players. Or it could be Harry Potter.
Those lines you play are great for black imo. You can use transposition tricks to get into similiar positions against my move order too I think. Luckily no one ever plays that against me.
Ah OK, you do play e5, thanks. I do think that's more testing, black is pretty comfortable otherwise.
All the mainline variations are forced by White except 4...Nd7. Black can play sidelines like the Fantasy or a KID/Pirc setup. White chooses the Exchange or Two Knights variation. This means that besides whats noted above, if White wants to he can force the manline Classical 1)e4,c6 through 10) Qxd3,... moveorder & Black can follow as always down analysis that's been known since the 1950's. Or he can play 10)...,Qa5+ 11)c3,... & white is better. The general endings involve White's King getting centrally located first with advanced center pawns & his rooks become more active.
It ain't like White can force everything. If White wants to go into the Exchange Variation with 4.Bd3, there's nothing stopping him, but Black gets excellent play in that line. I get great results against this.
In the "Main Line", Black has a number of options. It ain't all about the line that goes thru 10.Qxd3. Black also has:
- 4...Nd7, as noted above, which I play both this and 4...Bf5
- 4...Nf6, not mentioned above, though not my cup of tea
- 3...g6, Black is not forced to take on e4, though I personally don't approve of this line
In other lines, Black also has choices:
Advance: 3...c5, or after 3...Bf5, Black has a ton of choices:
- Against 4.Nc3, Black can weather the storm with 4...e6, or there are other options, like 4...h5, 4...Qb6, or 4...a6
- Against the Short Variation, Black ain't obligated to play 5...c5. 5...Nd7 is also a very valid option.
Panov-Botvinnik Attack - Here, Black has 3 main lines, not 1, though the 3rd I personally find to be completely unsound:
- 5...Nc6, either headed for a well-known ending after 6.Nf3, or else going into a wild and crazy queenless line with 6.Bg5
- 5...e6, leading to positions very similar to, and in some cases direct transpositions to, the Nimzo-Indian Defense
- 5...g6, leading to a very risky position for Black
The Caro-Kann is not a "White-Driven" opening at all, and it's not drawish!
In the order in wich you replied I would like to respond: 4)Bd3,... white's choice. 4)...,Nf6 & 3)...,g6 are part of the KID/Pirc ideas mentioned earlier.In other lines: Advance-whites choise to play/Panov-whites choise to play.IF WHITE WANTS TO HE CAN FORCE......& WHITE IS BETTER.This is why. The Caro is a white-driven opening except the ones I mentioned & can be forced down a line where white is better. thank you
Chessterd5, you're an idiot, and have no clue what you are talking about!
First off, 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 is NOT EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE to a King's Indian. After the main response, 5.Nxf6+ gxf6, Black has the open g-file, and rarely castles Kingside. In the King's Indian, Black ALWAYS castles Kingside!
Next, I said myself if White wants to play the Exchange with 4.Bd3, NOTHING STOPS HIM, but I'll take Black in that position any day!
Third, saying that it's White's "choice" (not "choise", you are from the United States, learn your own freaking language for once!) to play the Advance Variation is like saying it's White's choice to play the Ruy Lopez. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6, it's "White's choice" to play the Ruy Lopez, Scotch, Three or Four Knights, or a number of other options. However, after say, 3.Bb5, Black has choices himself. He can play 3...a6, or he can go into a Berlin (3...Nf6), Classical (3...Bc5), or a number of other options. Well, here Black can play 3...c5 or 3...Bf5. After 3...Bf5, White has a few options. After 4.Nc3, again, Black has a choice, 4...e6, 4...h5, 4...Qb6, or 4...a6. After 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2, again, Black has a choice, 5...c5 and 5...Nd7 being the main options.
So with the Advance Variation, it ain't like White dictates the game.
Panov-Botvinnik Attack - Here again, Black has choices, it's not like White dictates this either. 5...Nc6, 5...e6, and 5...g6 are all Black options.
So next time, before making a complete fool of yourself, try thinking about what you are saying, and learn how to spell in your own country's language too!
White choosing to play the Advance, Exchange, Panov, or Main Line is like White choosing to play the Ruy Lopez, Scotch, Italian, or Four Knights, or White choosing to play the Closed Sicilian, Open Sicilian, Grand Prix, or Morra Gambit. In each case, Black has multiple options, and so just like any other opening, neither side completely dictates the line of play.
The Caro-Kann is NOT a "White-Driven" opening!