AboutChuck Kinzie Expertise I can answer basic chess questions regarding opening, middlegame and endgame strategy and tactics. I cannot answer questions about positions with subtle nuances that require Grandmaster or computer analysis.
Experience I have been playing in chess tournaments for over thirty years.
Organizations United States Chess Federation
Publications I have a chess blog: http://www.chuckychess.blogspot.org
Education/Credentials I earned a United States Chess Federation Expert rating in 1987.
Question As I have been looking at various openings, I have noticed the Caro-Kann. The opening looks very interesting, but I am not sure which variation(s) to play. This is especially difficult because the variations branch off fairly early in the opening.
Which variation or variations would you suggest?
Answer Hi Paul!
Thanks for your interesting question.
I often play the Caro-Kann in tournaments myself. It is a very solid defense and often frustrates White players who like to open things up early and attack.
I would recommend the following variations:
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nd7. This variation was a favorite of former World Champion Anatoly Karpov. Black prepares to develop his KN to f6 without having his pawns doubled after Nxf6. Black will often re-deploy his QN to b6 in order to develop the QB.
Against the Advance Variation (1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5), I recommend 3...Bf5. This is similar to the Advanced Variation of the French Defense (1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 e5) except that Black has developed his QN rather than having it entombed by his own pawns. The downside is that Black will need to get counterplay by playing P-c5 like in the French, but since he has already used a move to play P-c6, he is in effect a move behind compared to the French Defense.
The Exchange Variation (1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 exd5 cxd5) has two major variations:
1. The positional line with 4 Bd3 allows Black to develop easily by placing his knights on c6 and f6, his QB on g4, and his KB on e7 or d6.
2. Against the more aggressive Panov-Botvinnik Attack with 4 c4, I recommend developing the knights to c6 and f6 and then fianchettoing the KB with ...g6 and ...Bg7 and then castling. White can often at least temporarily win the pawn on d5, but White's extra pawn is doubled and isolated.
While the book isn't exactly up-to-date, I would recommend buying "Black Defensive System for the Rest of Your Chess Career" by GM Andrew Soltis. He thoroughly covers the lines I mentioned above, plus most of the other variations that White can throw at you against the Caro-Kann. The book is available at www.labatechess.com
