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Caro-Kann Shortcuts for Black

FourtyTwoFields

Are you playing the Caro-Kann and looking for some surprise weapons with less theory which are still playlable? Here we go:

In the main line after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 the three big branches are Bf5, Nd7 and Nf6 . An alternative is h6 5. Nf3 Bf5 6. Ng3 Bh7 : The idea is to bring back with Bf5 to h7 in one move compared to the main line of the Capablanca variation 4... Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 where it reaches h7 after a stop on g6. All of the h4-idea loose their sting. Drawback: The lines without h4 get a bit more dangerous because h6 is in them a tempo loss.

In the Panov you can avoid the main lines by playing 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 dxc4!? 5. Bxc4 Qc7!? . The idea is, that the queen is not only looking at the Bc4, but also at Bc1 so that e.g. 6. Bb3 (or Bd3) Bg4 7. f3 Bd7 is possible.

In the Pseudo-Panov nothing is wrong with 1. e4 c6 2. c4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. cxd5 Nf6 but you need to know your stuff after 5. Qa4+ and 5. Bb5+ which indicates that white is looking for a sharp game. You can avoid all that with a setup which is less tactical and gives you a solid position: 1. e4 c6 2. c4 e5!? 3. Nf3 d6 4. d4 Nd7 5. Nc3 Ngf6 6. Be2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Qc2 a6 9. Rd1 Qc7

On the other hand the fantasy variation often indicates that white is looking for a solid game with strong center. Instead of playing a closed position which may fit to this wish in the main line 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 e6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bd2 Ne7 you can open things up by 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 Qb6 4. Nc3 dxe4 5. fxe4 e5. Check the Lichess opening tree for details.

Against the two-knights variation the simplest approach (but not a surprise weapon) is 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 after which white has two main options: 1) Go for a Caro-Kann main line position with 5. Nxf6+ exf6 position with the problem that Nf3 is already played and that knight is not optimally placed in this variation. 2) Play 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Qe2 Nxe4 6. Qxe4 and now my reco is Qa5 preparing Bf5. White best move is the non-intuitive 7. Qf4. The logical 7. Bc4 is ok for white but allows Bf5. If you check the masters database on Lichess you will find that 7. Qf4 is common and scores best: They know their stuff. Among Lichess players Qf4 is rare so that you will not face the best reply from White very often.

This leaves us with the advance variation 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 with the two main replies Bf5 and c5. Here I see no good alternative. There is the move g6 for black with the idea to attack Whites pawn on e5 with Bg7 and f6 on one end of the pawn chain and with c5 in the center. I recommend to take a look at the Lichess opening tree: It does not work very well. White can either strike immediatelly with c4 or go for a solid c3 approach to stabilize its center pawns.

If you know of any offbeat but playable Caro-Kann lines for black please let me know. Here is one more example from my side 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ gxf6!? 6. c3 Qd5!? which Seirawan played a few times even in the game below against the Ex-World-Champion Spassky.

https://lichess.org/game/JST8JwTr/black

Are you playing the Caro-Kann and looking for some surprise weapons with less theory which are still playlable? Here we go: In the main line after 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 the three big branches are Bf5, Nd7 and Nf6 . An alternative is h6 5. Nf3 Bf5 6. Ng3 Bh7 : The idea is to bring back with Bf5 to h7 in one move compared to the main line of the Capablanca variation 4... Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 where it reaches h7 after a stop on g6. All of the h4-idea loose their sting. Drawback: The lines without h4 get a bit more dangerous because h6 is in them a tempo loss. In the Panov you can avoid the main lines by playing 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 dxc4!? 5. Bxc4 Qc7!? . The idea is, that the queen is not only looking at the Bc4, but also at Bc1 so that e.g. 6. Bb3 (or Bd3) Bg4 7. f3 Bd7 is possible. In the Pseudo-Panov nothing is wrong with 1. e4 c6 2. c4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. cxd5 Nf6 but you need to know your stuff after 5. Qa4+ and 5. Bb5+ which indicates that white is looking for a sharp game. You can avoid all that with a setup which is less tactical and gives you a solid position: 1. e4 c6 2. c4 e5!? 3. Nf3 d6 4. d4 Nd7 5. Nc3 Ngf6 6. Be2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Qc2 a6 9. Rd1 Qc7 On the other hand the fantasy variation often indicates that white is looking for a solid game with strong center. Instead of playing a closed position which may fit to this wish in the main line 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 e6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bd2 Ne7 you can open things up by 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 Qb6 4. Nc3 dxe4 5. fxe4 e5. Check the Lichess opening tree for details. Against the two-knights variation the simplest approach (but not a surprise weapon) is 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 after which white has two main options: 1) Go for a Caro-Kann main line position with 5. Nxf6+ exf6 position with the problem that Nf3 is already played and that knight is not optimally placed in this variation. 2) Play 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Qe2 Nxe4 6. Qxe4 and now my reco is Qa5 preparing Bf5. White best move is the non-intuitive 7. Qf4. The logical 7. Bc4 is ok for white but allows Bf5. If you check the masters database on Lichess you will find that 7. Qf4 is common and scores best: They know their stuff. Among Lichess players Qf4 is rare so that you will not face the best reply from White very often. This leaves us with the advance variation 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 with the two main replies Bf5 and c5. Here I see no good alternative. There is the move g6 for black with the idea to attack Whites pawn on e5 with Bg7 and f6 on one end of the pawn chain and with c5 in the center. I recommend to take a look at the Lichess opening tree: It does not work very well. White can either strike immediatelly with c4 or go for a solid c3 approach to stabilize its center pawns. If you know of any offbeat but playable Caro-Kann lines for black please let me know. Here is one more example from my side 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ gxf6!? 6. c3 Qd5!? which Seirawan played a few times even in the game below against the Ex-World-Champion Spassky. https://lichess.org/game/JST8JwTr/black
tpr

There are more rare lines:
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 g6
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nd2 g6
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 b5
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 b5

There are more rare lines: 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 g6 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nd2 g6 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 b5 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 b5
lizani

In the pseudo-Panov you have no solution but to transpose to the Old Indian? 1 e4 c6 2 c4 d5 3 cxd5 exd5 4 exd5 Qxd5 5 Nc3 Qd8 is a playable alternative. Yes you lost a tempo but material is equal and you can develop normally.
The Advance has become the main battleground because white can adopt many different setups. They only need to learn one whereas black needs to be ready for all of them.

In the pseudo-Panov you have no solution but to transpose to the Old Indian? 1 e4 c6 2 c4 d5 3 cxd5 exd5 4 exd5 Qxd5 5 Nc3 Qd8 is a playable alternative. Yes you lost a tempo but material is equal and you can develop normally. The Advance has become the main battleground because white can adopt many different setups. They only need to learn one whereas black needs to be ready for all of them.
tpr

"They only need to learn one"

  • Well two: 3...Bf5, and 3...c5, not counting the offbeat 3...b5.
"They only need to learn one" * Well two: 3...Bf5, and 3...c5, not counting the offbeat 3...b5.
Petter64

I have never heard about 4... h6 in the mainline. I imagine that this is the type of move that might be overlooked even in courses, adding to its surprise value. I don’t have much to add, but maybe 4... qb6 against the Tahl should be mentioned. Not as off beat as some of your lines, but some opponents will be caught off guard and black might be able to equalise easily if white doesn’t find the critical line. Even if he does it’s ok. Just look over a bunch of mater games so you get a feel for when to play which pawn break etc.

I have never heard about 4... h6 in the mainline. I imagine that this is the type of move that might be overlooked even in courses, adding to its surprise value. I don’t have much to add, but maybe 4... qb6 against the Tahl should be mentioned. Not as off beat as some of your lines, but some opponents will be caught off guard and black might be able to equalise easily if white doesn’t find the critical line. Even if he does it’s ok. Just look over a bunch of mater games so you get a feel for when to play which pawn break etc.
Petter64

Forgot to mention that 4...qb6 is possible even after 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 bf5 4 nc3. It’s slightly dubious maybe, but if you learn to play the position with the bishop on d7 it might work quite nicely. G4 leaves some weaknesses behind and the knight is not optimal on c3 blocking the c-pawn.

Forgot to mention that 4...qb6 is possible even after 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 bf5 4 nc3. It’s slightly dubious maybe, but if you learn to play the position with the bishop on d7 it might work quite nicely. G4 leaves some weaknesses behind and the knight is not optimal on c3 blocking the c-pawn.
X_Voltz

Thanks for this.

Thanks for this.