Chess is Fun Caro Kann Advanced Variation - Jon Edwards

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Chess is Fun: Caro Kann: Advanced Variation



























by Jon Edwards

©2011: Jon Edwards jedwards.chess@gma [email protected] il.com

The contents of this book are protected by the Byrne Convention. No portion of this book may be used, reproduced, or transmitted in any manner or form whatsoever by any means without the express, written, prior permission from the publisher except for clear instances of fair use, brie quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Chess is Fun 178 Pennington Harbourton Road Pennington, NJ 08534 Layout: Jon Edwards Proofreading: Cheryl Edwards Cover design: Lorene Lavora Created and published in the United States of America



























About the Chess is Fun series Our idea is to make useful chess instruction available on your tablet… We have worked hard to keep these books affordable … you can build a library of chess books for less than you might spend on just one or two chess books at the bookstore! Unlike many other inexpensive chess e-books, these are fully annotated in understandable, simple language. Teaching and learning is important to us. The profuse use of diagrams make these among the first chess books that you can read WITHOUT A BOARD at your side. Please share your thoughts with us. We are interested in your constructive feedback, and also in ideas that you might have for future books in the Chess is Fun series. Good chess, Jon Edwards



























Table of Contents Introduction to the Caro Kann: Advanced Variation Anand, Viswanathan (2670) - Ravi, Lanka (2370) [B12] Svidler, Peter (2735) - Macieja, Bartlomiej (2613) [B12] Khalifman, Alexander (2625) - Lobron, Eric (2575) [B12] Svidler, Peter (2690) - Lobron, Eric (2540) [B12] Socko, Bartosz (2646) - Drozdovskij, Y (2624) [B12] Shirov, Alexei (2726) - Topalov, Veselin (2791) [B12] Zhang Pengxiang Pengxiang (2643) (2643) - Bologan, Viktor (2658) [B12] Svidler, Peter Svidler, Peter (2747) - Renet, Olivier (2517) [B12] [B1 2] Shirov, Alexei (2720) - Donchenko, Anatoly G (2395) [B12] Kasparov, Kasparo v, Garry (2838) - Shirov, Alexei (2697) [B12] [B 12] About the the author



























Introduction to the Caro Kann: Advanced Variation

With 3.e5 in the Advanced Variation of the Caro Kann, White immediately gains more space and more room to maneuver for a kingside attack. By clear contrast, Black's position is cramped in part because the king knight cannot safely reach f6. If there is a problem for White, it is that 3.e5 is committal. As a consequence, Black will immediately immediately be able to post the usually bad-light-squared bishop on f5, itself a target but certainly more active than it would be after 3…e6. White will aim to develop quickly, coordinating that development in an effort to attack on the kingside. In many variations, White can gain time by attacking Black's light-squared bishop, but there are very few occasions when the bishop actually gets into meaningful trouble. By contrast, Black will counter on the queenside, usually with …c5, a move which in itself costs a tempo (Black had already played …c6). The alternative is to attack the central pawn chain at the head with …f6. 1.e4 c6

The Caro Kann. The opening somewhat resembles the French Defense... a pawn move prepares 2...d5, but unlike the French, this first pawn move does not block in Black's light-squared bishop.





























2.d4

Taking full command over the center of the board. 2...d5

Challenging the center with support from the pawn on c6. 3.e5

With one move, the tension in the position immediately shifts from the pressure on e4 to Black's need to undermine the e5-pawn. In that regard, the position is similar to the Advanced Variation of the French Defense save that the light-squared bishop has immediate access to f5 and Black must lose a tempo to challenge the d4-pawn with ...c5.



























3...Bf5

Posting the bad, light-squared bishop to an active square. As we will see, White can try many ways to annoy and attempt to trap the bishop, which to date appears to survive those efforts.



























bad bishop. 4.Nf3 A strong positional continuation. The knight will reach h4 to take on the light-squared bishop. White aims for very quick development. 4...e6 Locking in the pawn structure, Black's intent. So long as Black does not lose the light-squared bishop, the counter attack can begin now with ...c5. 5.Be2 Preparing for castling and avoiding an exchange of White's good lightsquared bishop. 5...Nd7 6.0–0 Ne7 7.Nh4 Cornering the light-squared bishop. White has the edge here, but is it large enough to win?

7...c5 Countering immediately, since the capture on f5 will permit a strong response with ...Nxf5 further pressuring the center. 8.c3 Securing the center. If instead 7...Bg6 Retreating the bishop since the capture on g6 will open the h-file for a black counter-attack on the kingside. 8.Nd2 Nf5 Forcing the knight to capture on f5 or g6. (8...c5 Or Black can counter quickly on the queenside 9.c3 Nc6 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.Nf3 Be7 12.Be3)



























5.g4 Bg6 6.Nge2

The knight is heading to f4. 6...c5



























Anand, Viswanathan (2670) - Ravi, Lanka (2370) [B12] Kolkata, 1992 1.e4 c6

The Caro-Kann Defense. The main advantage of the opening is that Black can support ...d5 without blocking the Bc8's access to the middle of the board. The main disadvantage here is that after White pushes through with e4-e5, Black will need to waste time by playing ...c6-c5 against the central pawn chain. 2.d4

Taking the opportunity to control the center. 2...d5

Black's main idea, to counter in the center using the support from the c6 pawn without blocking the development of the light-squared bishop. 3.e5

The Advanced Variation of the Caro-Kann. By advancing rather than defending the e-pawn, the central conflict switches from e4 to e5. 3...Bf5

The obvious response, posting the light-squared bishop outside the pawn





























4.Nf3

The first of many efforts to corral the Bf5. The knight supports White's center and, at the critical moment, often aims for Nh4 when, after ...Bg6, White will capture the bishop in order to gain the lasting advantage with the only remaining light-squared bishop.



























5.Be2

Getting ready to castle but avoiding Bd3 which would offer a trade of White's "good," light-squared bishop for Black's bad one. 5...Nd7

Preparing ...c5 and attacking e5, but there are other possibilities here. 5...h6 makes room for the bishop to retreat to h7. 5...c5 can be played straight away. And Black can also try 5...Ne7.



























7...Bg6

The bishop retreats rather than permit Nxf5. The effort to hold on to the bishop with 7...Be4 meets 8.Nd2 Nf5 9.Nhf3! and White will snag the bishop for a knight by remaining on e4 or after ...Bxf3.



























9...Nc6

Increasing the pressure on d4. 10.Nxg6 hxg6

Recapturing towards the center and, by so doing, opening the h-file for operations against the white king.



























11...Be7

An obvious developing move, but Black can also try ...Rc8 or ...Qc6. 12.Be3

White often develops the dark-squared bishop to e3 to reinforce the center, but as we will see, White has the option of playing the move much earlier to discourage Black from playing ...c5. 12...Qc7

Part of the effort to drum up play on the queenside, either by capturing on d4 in order to open up the c-file, or by pushing through with ...c4 and then advancing the b-pawn. More commonly played here by Black are ...a6 with the idea of ...b5 and ...Qb6 targeting the white b-pawn. For 12...0–0, see the next game.























































best response.



























compensation. 18.Qg4

The obvious and correct follow-up. The queen takes aim at e6, with one attack one defender, and g6, with two attacks and one defender.





















































The pawn advances with tempo. 24...Rh8





























28...Nd8 29.Rf4 Nf7 30.Rg4 Rag8 31.Rg6 Nh6





















































Svidler, Peter (2735) - Macieja, Bartlomiej (2613)



























7.Rxb1 Bb4+ so now White cannot respond with Nc3. 8.Kd1 with a position not to everyone's liking. 5.Nd2





























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































8.Nf4 Bh7

Giving up the pawn in order to hold onto the bishop and to prevent the shattering of the kingside structure.

9.Nxh5

For 9.g5 see the next game. 9...Nc6

Countering the flank attack with pressure in the center. For 9...cxd4 see below for Svidler - Renet, 2004. 10.dxc5



























10…Bxc5

Not 10...Nxe5 11.Bf4 Nc6 12.Nb5 targeting c7 and d6. 11.Bg2

Black gains plenty of counterplay after 11.Nxg7+ Kf8 12.Nh5 d4 13.Na4 Qa5+ 14.c3 dxc3 15.Nxc3 Nb4. Topalov, V (2745) - Gelfand, B (2710) Dortmund 2002 tried 11.Bb5 Qc7 12.Bxc6+ Qxc6 13.Qf3 0–0–0 14.Nxg7 d4 15.Qxc6+ bxc6 16.Na4 Bf8 17.Nh5 Bxc2 18.b3 Rd5 19.Bf4 Bb4+ 20.Ke2 d3+ 21.Kf3 d2 22.Rad1 Ne7 23.Nf6 Rd3+ 24.Ke2 Nd5 25.Bg5 Bxd1+ 26.Rxd1 Rh3 27.h5 Be7 (27...Nxf6=) 28.Rxd2 Bxf6 29.Bxf6 1–0 (39). 11...Kf8 12.Bf4 Rc8



























13.Bg3

Better is 13.Qd2 Qa5 14.a3 Bd4 15.Rh3. 13...Nge7 14.Nf4

And here, 14.Qd2 Nd4 15.Rc1 Nec6=. 14...Bd4 15.Qe2

15…Qb6



























19…Qxb2

Hitting the rook and the knight, recovering the pawn with equal chances. 20.Rb1 Qxc3+ 21.Qxc3 Rxc3 22.Rxb7 g6 23.Kd2 Ra3 24.Rc1 Rxa2+ 25.Ke3 d4+ 26.Kf4 Rh7 27.Rcc7 Nd5+ 28.Bxd5 exd5

29.f3

Down a pawn but with by far the more active rooks.



























30...gxh5 31.g5

Threatening g6. 31...Rg2

32.Kf5

Black prevented g6, so White now arranges f4, Kf6, and f5. 32...Re2 33.Rc8+ Re8 34.Rxe8+ Kxe8 35.Kf6 h4 36.g6+- Rh6 37.Rxf7 1–0





























Zhang Pengxiang (2643) - Bologan, Viktor (2658) [B12] Poikovsky, 2007 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nc3 e6 5.g4 Bg6 6.Nge2 c5 7.h4 h5 8.Nf4 Bh7

9.g5

In the last game, White captured with 9.Nxh5. Here, the pawn push adds g6 as a powerful threat, upsetting the e6-f7 pawn chain and undermining the support for the e6-pawn now that the light squared bishop is on h7.



























10.Nb5

Thematic play in lines with the d5-e5 chain, maneuvering the knight to reacpture on d4 where the knight will have an unassailable post in the center of the board. Mann, G (2230) - Von Alvensleben, W Kecskemet 1990 tried 10.g6!? Bxg6 (On 10...dxc3 11.gxf7+ Kxf7 12.Qxh5+ g6 13.Qf3 cxb2 14.Nxg6++-) 11.Nxg6 fxg6 12.Bb5+ Nc6 13.Qxd4 Nge7 14.Qd3 Nf5 15.Ne2 Qc7 16.Bf4 Kf7 17.Bxc6 bxc6 18.Rg1 Bc5 19.Qf3 Qb6 20.Qg2 Nxh4 21.Qg3 Qxb2 22.Rd1 g5 23.Kf1 Be7 24.Nd4 c5 25.Bxg5 Nf5 26.Nxf5 Qxc2 27.Ne3 Qh7 28.Bxe7 Kxe7 29.Qxg7+ 1–0 (41). 10...Be4 11.f3

Preventing the white queen from attacking h5.



























11...Bf5 12.g6

Fully playable is 12.Nxd4 as in Kotronias, V (2615) - Arlandi, E (2445) Yerevan 1996 12...Ne7 13.Bb5+ Nbc6 14.g6 Qc7 15.Bxc6+ Nxc6 16.Nxc6 bxc6 17.gxf7+ Kxf7 18.Qe2 Be7 19.Kf1 c5 20.Bd2 Rab8 21.c4 dxc4 d xc4 22.Bc3 22 .Bc3 g5 23.hxg5 Bxg5 24.Qxc4 Qd8 25.Rh2 Bxf4 26.Qxf4 Qd3+ 27.Ke1 Rbg8 28.Rd2 Rg1+ 29.Kf2 Qxd2+ 30.Qxd2 Rxa1 31.Qd7+ Kg6 32.Qe7 Rxa2 33.Qf6+ with a mating net 1–0 (33.Qf6+ Kh7 34.Qf7+ Kh6 35.Bd2#). 12...Nc6 13.Nxd4



























Exchanging the knight before White has a chance to play Bb5 or Nxf5. 14.Qxd4 Ne7

The second knight will enter at c6. 15.Bd3

Too willingly parting with the good light-squared bishop. Black's position is solid. No better for White is 15.Qa4+ Nc6 16.Bd2 a6. 15...Qc7

A sign of White's troubles... Black declines the kind offer of the exchange of bishops to pressure the e5-pawn and to threaten ...Nc6.

16.Qa4+ Nc6



























19.Bd2

Black also has a large advantage after 19.0–0 dxe4 20.fxe4 0–0–0. 19...dxe4 20.0–0–0 0–0–0 21.Qc4 Rxd2!

Netting two minor pieces for the rook. 22.Rxd2 Qxf4 23.Qxe6+ Kc7





























All of Black's pieces are jumping to life. The bishop threatens ...Be3. 25.Qf7+ Kb8 26.Qxf5 Qxf5 27.exf5 Be3

White can resign.

28.Re1 Bxd2+ 29.Kxd2 Rf8



























Svidler, Peter (2747) - Renet, Olivier (2517) [B12] Belfort, 2004 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nc3 e6 5.g4 Bg6 6.Nge2 c5 7.h4 h5 8.Nf4 Bh7 9.Nxh5 cxd4

For 9...Nc6 1–0 see above for Shirov, A - Topalov,V. Topalov,V.



























12.c3

Fedorov, A (2579) - Dreev,A (2690) Moscow 2003 tried 12.Bg5 Qa5+ 13.c3 Nxd4 14.Qxd4 Nc6 15.Qf4 Qb6 16.b3 (Better is 16.0–0–0) 16...d4 17.Bg2 dxc3 18.0–0 c2 ½–½. 12...a6



























14.Bg5

Not 14.Bf4 N7c6 15.Qb3 b5. 14...Qc7 15.Re3 0–0–0

15...N5c6 16.Nxc6 Qxc6 (Not 16...Nxc6 17.Qxd5) 17.Qd4 Rg8 18.Bf6 0– 0–0 (18...gxf6 19.Nxf6+ Kd8 20.Nxh7+-) 19.Bxg7 Rxg7 20.Nxg7 Ng6



























18.Qe2

Stepping out of the pin, increasing the pressure on e5 and e6, and getting ready to castle queenside. 18...Bd3? Black is fine after 18...Rd7 19.0–0–0 Nd5 20.Nxd5 Rxd5. 19.Nxd3 cxd3





























With the threat of Rc4 and pressure against the Ne7.



























25...Qxe4 26.Rxe4 Bxe7 27.Rxe7 Rxh4 28.f3 Rh8

Resigning rather than see Rxf7. 1–0



























Shirov, Alexei (2720) - Donchenko, Anatoly G (2395) [B12] Warsaw, 2006 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nc3 e6 5.g4 Bg6 6.Nge2 c5 7.h4 h5 8.Nf4 Bh7





















































11...g6

A horrible concession, blocking the advance of the g-pawn as well as the h5-e8 diagonal, but locking in the light-squared bishop. Not 11...Ng6 12.Nxg6 fxg6 13.Qg4+-. 12.Qe2

Not 12.Nd6+? Qxd6 13.exd6 gxh5 gxh 5 14.dxe7 Bxe7 with an extra pawn and very active bishops. 12...Nf5

Finding a hole in the pawn structure and enabling the Bf8 to watch d6.























































Bxd6 19.Qb5++-. 17...Nd7

Not 17...Ng4 18.Bf4+-.



























23.Nd4

Missing 23.Nc7+ Kd8 (Not 23...Ke7 24.Nxd5+) 24.h5 Qc6 25.hxg6 Rxh1+ 26.Nxh1 Rxc7 27.Bxc7+ Qxc7 28.Kd2.









































































































































































































































































































Chess is Fun Caro Kann Advanced Variation - Jon Edwards

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