Caro-Kann, Early Deviations

A couple of years ago, I switched from 1. e4 e5 to 1.e4 c6, the Caro-Kann Defence. It took a long time to take that step. I have tried the French several times in the past, but I never felt comfortable with it. I thought that the Caro-Kann would be similar, but I was wrong. Unlike in the French, I find the ideas and plans behind the Caro-Kann easy to understand, and the lead to middle game positions that I'm comfortable with.

I started out by watching some videos, then studied the main lines from books, and tried it out in blitz games online. Nothing new there, that's how we all take on a new opening.

The next step is to dive deeper into the main lines, and also investigate some side lines. This is what stronger players do, but for club players, it's a waste of time. The reason is that those lines, frequently occurring in games at higher levels, rarely happens at the club level. Your opponents will usually deviate before move five, so we need to study openings in a different way than stronger players do.

The method I use when learning a new opening is to study every possible deviation from the main lines, starting with the earliest possible opportunity. After getting a general grasp of the mail lines, I jump to the last chapter in the book (usually titled "Other Lines" or "Odds and Ends". After studying those lines, I proceed to study the moves that aren't even mentioned. Some of those moves are just bad, some out of fashion, and others are not in the sprit of the opening, or an attempt to transpose into another opening. In either case, we need to find out what they are, and decide what to do about them.

The Caro-Kann Defence

 The Caro-Kann comes about after the moves 1.e4 c6:

 

The standard continuation, almost exclusively played at the higher levels, is 2.d4 d5. However, White has several other moves to choose from, and those other moves occur quite often at the club level. There are 29 other moves, here in order of popularity:

• 2.Nc3 d5 Now 3.d4 or 3.Nf3 transposes into a regular line, 3.Qf3 e5 is a good gambit.
• 2.Nf3 d5 Usually transposes after 3.Nc3 or 3.exd5.
• 2.c4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.cxd5 Nf6 is equal.
• 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 e5 is equal.
• 2.f4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 is good for Black.
• 2.Ne2 d5 3.e5 d4 is good for Black.
• 2.Bc4 d5 3.Bb3 dxe4 4.Qh5 g6 Black is better.
• 2.b3 d5 3.Bb2 dxe4 is good for Black.
• 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 exd4 is good for Black. 
• 2.c3 d5 Will most likely transpose into the Exchange or Advance Variations.
• 2.e5 d5 3.d4 is the Advance Variation, but be prepared for 3.exd6 exd6.
• 2.Qf3 d5 3.exd5 cx5 is good for Black.
• 2.Qe2 d5 is often met with 3.d3, which shouldn't cause any trouble
• 2.Be2 d5 is equal.
• 2.a3 d5 is equal.
• 2.f3 d5 3.d4 is the Fantasy Variation. 
• 2.b4 d5 is the standard move, but e5 or Nf6 are worth looking into.
• 2.h3 Prevents a future Bg4. Play d5 and proceed normally.
• 2.Bd3 Blocking the d pawn can't be good. d5.
• 2.h4 d5 3.e5 Now 3...Bc5 d4 transposes into the Tal Variation, but that can be avoided with 3...c5.
• 2.Qh5 Best met by Nf6 followed by e5. Also good is d5.
• 2.a4 With the idea of a4-a5-a6. d5 is best.
• 2.Ke2 Just nonsense. Play d5.
• 2.Nh3 A mistake. d5 is a strong double threat.
• 2.Qg4 You can chase the Queen with d5.
• 2.Na3 Looks pointless. d5 is good.
• 2.g4 The standard d5 gives Black the upper hand.
• 2.Bb5 Giving up a Bishop for no apparent reason. Take it with cxb5.
• 2.Ba6 This is the only move that I couldn't find a real game example of. Just play Nxa6.

That's a long list, but you will encounter most of them sooner or later. The good news is that 2...d5 is a universal response in all lines (except 2.Ba6), so that's all we need to know. There are good alternatives in some lines, but you can't go wrong with d5.

Back to the main line: 1.e4 c6 2.d5 d5

From here, theory branches out in five popular lines:

• 3.e5, the Advance Variation
• 3.Nc3, the Classical Variation
• 3.exd5, the Exchange Variation
• 3.Nd2, the Modern Variation
• 3.f3, the Fantasy Variation  

When you have decided how to play those five lines, it's time to look at the the 3rd move deviations. Make a list of all other legal moves (there are 33 of them), and study them all like we did for the 2nd move deviations.

It's a lot of work, but I think it's worth it. After this exercise, you are prepared for anything in the Caro-Kann whatever your opponent throws at you. 

You can take it one step further if you're really ambitious. In each of the five lines above, after studying the book continuations, make a list of all 4th move deviations, and decide how you're going yo play. This sums up to more than a hundred moves, so it might prove a bit to much for the regular club player.

Takeaway

 There are many aspects to consider when studying a new opening, but for club players, the study of early deviations is more useful than you might think. The goal is to avoid early mistakes, and not knowing what to play is the number one reason for making a mistake. 

 

Slav Defence with 3.e3

This is an article on opening theory, which might surprise since I usually write about mistakes. Also, in my last post, I wrote that opening theory is mainly a waste of time for club players, so I'll try to clarify what I mean by that.

One reader wrote that I underestimate opening theory, but I don't think that I do. I spend as much time on openings as any of my peers, but I don't spend time memorising long lines. Instead, I focus on the ideas behind the book moves, and try to understand the positions that arises from them. There are three main reasons why memorising long lines is bad for players below the Master level:

1. Even if you manage to memorise a line 15 moves deep, it doesn't mean that you understand the resulting position. You'll still be struggling with move 16.
2. The line you've learned will probably never happen. If you don't understand why the moves are played, then your homework is wasted as soon as your opponent deviates from your prepared line.
3. Memorising lines takes away time from studying more important things like tactics, positional play, and endings.

Many new players try to learn the game from move 1 and onwards, believing that once the know everything 50 moves deep, they're good to go. The futility of that approach was examined in Can Chess be Solved?. A better way is to learn all aspects of the game one step at a time, and the best tool you have is your own games. If you spend as much time analysing them as playing them, you're on the right path.

The Slav Defence

The Slav comes about after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6. 

 

 

The idea behind the Slav is to avoid some of the problems in the Queen's Gambit, primarily having the Bishop locked in behind the pawn chain, and getting a vulnerable pawn structure on the queenside.

The main line is 3.Nf3 Nf6. Nc3, leading to a whole array of theory-heavy variations. Black's top choices are 4...dxc4 (The Slav Main Line) and 4...e6 (The Semi-Slav), both quite popular at all levels.

The Semi-Slav might seem contradict the idea of developing the Bishop outside the pawn chain, but the pawn structure is more solid than in the QG. Also, Bf4 or Bg4 can only be successful if White plays passively.

There are lots of alternatives for White in the diagram. Before we turn to 3.e3, let's have a quick look at one of them: 3.c5. It may be tempting to end all threats to c4 once and for all, and at the same time grab some space on the queenside, but it's a mistake. After 3...e5, White must play 4.e3, and Black is already better. 4.dx4 fails to 4...Bxc5, and the pawn on e5 becomes a target.

When learning a new opening, it's really helpful to try out all the options at home to figure out what works and why. Do that for both your and the opponent's moves, and you'll develop a deeper understanding of the opening.

The Slav Defence with 3.e3

This move is rarely seen at the top levels, but it's a common choice amongst club players. It's dismissed by theory - not because it's bad, but more on principle. The most natural move is 3.Nf3. This must be played sooner or later, and there is nothing to gain by delaying it. It also prevents Bf5, as Black gets into trouble after 3 Nf3 Bf5 4.cxd5 cxd5 5.Qb3. 

Trying to save the pawn by 5...b6 leads to immediate disaster after 6.e4. Figuring out why White is winning is a fun exercise!

One reason for 3.e3 is to protect c4, but that's not necessary, as White gets a good position after 3.Nf3 dxc4 4.e3 b5 5.a4 e6 6.ax5 cxb5 7.b3.

Black has an extra pawn, but it will not last for long. 

From a theoretical standpoint, 3.e3 is an unambitious move that allows Black Bf5, which is considered an easy way to equalise. If White wants to avoid the vast theory of the Semi-Slav, it's a playable move, but if Black is determined to play the Semi-Slav, then e6 follows. 

The Slav Defence Main Line

We can conclude that White has no good reason to deviate with 3.e3. The main line is:

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 

Black has a number of options here, but the three most common continuations (in order of popularity) are:

• 4...e6, the Semi-Slav,
• 4...dxc4, the Slav main line,
• 4...a6, the  Chebanenko Slav.

Black occasionally tries 4...Bf5, but that runs into similar problems as with 3...Bf5 above.

Takeaway

Examining every possible deviation from the first three moves is an excellent way for club players to approach a new opening. You will not only develop an understanding of the ideas behind the opening, but you will also avoid and early opening surprises. If you're prepared for any possible deviation in the first five moves, you will save time and energy, build confidence, and avoid early mistakes.