Caro-Kann Defense

The bishop first, the pawn after

Solid

Black prepares d5 with the c6 pawn and keeps the c8 bishop free. Unlike in the French, the bishop gets out before it is shut in by …e6. The structure is sturdy and free of weaknesses, and Black sooner or later trades White's light-squared bishop and equalises calmly. But calm does not mean passive: in many variations Black plays to win.

Interactive Opening Board

7…Nd7

♚

Black

♔

White

7…Nd7

Speed:

Moves

(14 plies • 7 moves)

7…Nd7Tabiya

The d7 knight frees the e-pawn's road and prepares …Ngf6 to avoid pins.

1–7moves
#WhiteBlack
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1.e4 The king's pawn takes the centre.

1…c6 The c6 pawn prepares d5 without blocking the c8 bishop. This is the start of the Caro–Kann.

2.d4 White takes the centre.

2…d5 Now Black hits e4.

3.Nc3 The knight defends e4.

3…dxe4 Black exchanges the pawn and relieves the tension in the centre.

4.Nxe4 The knight takes the pawn and stands in the centre.

4…Bf5 This is what it was all for: the bishop gets out before …e6.

5.Ng3 The knight retreats and attacks the bishop.

5…Bg6 The bishop goes to g6, staying on a good diagonal.

6.h4 White wants to drive the bishop away with the h-pawn.

6…h6 Black keeps h7 as a retreat for the bishop.

7.Nf3 The knight develops and prepares castling.

7…Nd7 The d7 knight frees the e-pawn's road and prepares …Ngf6 to avoid pins.

Defining move

4…Bf5! — the bishop comes out first

The move that sets the Caro–Kann apart from the French

The c6 pawn is not only for d5; it keeps the bishop free. While the bishop is on f5 or g6, it looks towards White's kingside and is not shut in by pawns. After that Black plays …e6 calmly, and the bishop remains good.

Tabiya

The Classical system

The main position of the Caro–Kann. White harries the bishop with the h-pawn, but Black answers …Bh7 and trades on d3. Then comes …e6, and Black has a solid structure and free play. White keeps some extra space and the hope of using it in an attack.

The centre

A sturdy structure with no weaknesses

Black's pawns stand on c6 and e6 once the d-pawn has been exchanged. The structure is firm: no weak squares, and the bishop works from outside the chain.

Key squaresd5e4f5

Outposts

e4White's knight
The knight on e4 holds a central square and keeps Black from equalising, so Black wants to trade it.
h7The bishop's haven
From here the bishop keeps its diagonal after h4-h5 and can trade itself on d3.

Thematic breaks

c5Black
The …c6-c5 strike
Strike at d4 and free the centre.
What follows: If it works, Black equalises without trouble.
h5White
The h4-h5 advance
Drive the g6 bishop away and win space on the kingside.
What follows: Black must move the bishop to h7 in time, or lose it.
e5Black
The …e7-e5 break
Take the centre when White has gone too far on the wing.
What follows: One of Black's most modern ideas: the game at once becomes sharper.

White’s plan

Use the extra space: Ng3, h4-h5.
Develop and castle, often long.
Do not let Black trade the light-squared bishops for free.

Black’s plan

Trade the light-squared bishops and solidify e6.
Free the game with …c5.
Play for a win with the modern …e5 or a counterstrike on the wing.

History

The defence is named after the Englishman Horatio Caro and the Austrian Marcus Kann, who analysed it in the nineteenth century. It was taken seriously in the twentieth, when world champions started to play it: Capablanca, Botvinnik, Smyslov and Karpov.