Is the Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation winnable for black?

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tupacisback305
Is the Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation winnable for black?
 
I noticed that I struggle when playing the Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation.
 
I haven't studied the opening and that's probably the main problem but I when I was looking in Explorer it doesn't look like any of the players had much success when faced with the Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation playing as black.
 
I am not sure if I am interpreting the game Explorer results but it looks like black ends up losing the majority of the time in this position.
 
Should I just try to avoid getting to that position by playing a different line that wont lead to the Advance Variation?
 
Edit: I think what bothers me the most is that i cant get my queen side knight to f6 and everything just feels super closed in and also difficult to get my dark squared knight into the action.
 

Explorer link

french

It's fine.

Don't worry about openings; just focus on not blundering

tygxc

@1

"Is the Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation winnable for black?"
++ No, chess is a draw with best play for both sides, and Caro-Kann is sound,
and the Advance Variation is no better or worse than other variations.
 
"I noticed that I struggle when playing the Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation."
++ What do you mean by 'struggle'?
 
"I haven't studied the opening" ++ No need to.

"that's probably the main problem" ++ No, but you need to analyse your lost games.

"it doesn't look like any of the players had much success when faced with the Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation playing as black." ++ Black is OK.
 
"it looks like black ends up losing the majority of the time in this position."
++ That is a misinterpretation. The results correlate with the player ratings, not with the opening. When stronger players as black prefer Open Games, or Sicilian, or French over the Caro-Kann, then results of the Caro-Kann go down. When stronger players as white prefer the Advance Variation over other variations, then the results of the Advance Variation go up.
 
"Should I just try to avoid getting to that position by playing a different line that wont lead to the Advance Variation?" ++ No.
 
"i cant get my queen side knight to f6" ++ So your king's knight should go elsewhere e.g. Ne7.
Likewise you cannot get your queen's knight to c6 in the Caro-Kann, so it should go elsewhere, e.g. Nd7, or you should spend a tempo for ...c5 and ...Nc6.

"everything just feels super closed" ++ That is no problem.

Here is an example game:

MariasWhiteKnight

What I like about the Caro-Kann is that I need to know only little theory.

Thats a huge advantage if you're older and cant remember openings that well anymore.

play4fun64

Just replay games of GMs of the same opening. After s dozen games, you will play the opening by intuition.

Henson_Chess

Get your bishop out, exchange it off, and play for pressure on White's center with the knights and a timely c5 break.

Something like this? (This isn't mainline or anything, just an example).

springerarchie

Study Alireza Firouzja’s Caro-Kann games, with very aggressive and successful results.

play4fun64

U2000 games are decided by blinders. Most popular opening is playable including Caro Kann advanced. Review Master's games under B12.

KevinOSh

There are a million videos and dozens of books on the Caro-Kann. And many thousands of master games. It is winnable for black if white doesn't play perfectly, and even the top GMs today make mistakes.