Caro-Kann Defence: free opening course
Black prepares ...d5 with 1...c6, so that the d5 pawn is supported without blocking the light-squared bishop. Black gets a very solid pawn structure, develops the c8 bishop outside the pawn chain (usually to f5 or g4) and aims for a sound, slightly passive but hard-to-crack middlegame.
Key ideas
- Get the light-squared bishop out to f5 or g4 BEFORE playing ...e6, so it is not locked in like in the French.
- Against the Advance (3.e5), strike back with ...c5 and pile up on d4 with ...Nc6, ...Qb6 and knights heading for f5.
- In the Classical, meet White's h4-h5 with ...h6 and ...Bh7, then castle queenside or kingside depending on where White's king goes.
- In isolated-pawn positions (Panov), blockade d5 with a knight and trade pieces: every exchange makes White's isolated d-pawn weaker.
- In the Exchange Variation, use the queenside pawn majority idea in reverse: ...b5-b4 (minority attack) or simply pressure the c-file.
The 6 variations in the course
- Classical 4...Bf5: 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 … — Black takes on e4 and develops the bishop to f5. White chases it with Ng3 and h4-h5; Black answers with ...h6 and ...Bh7, trades the bishop on d3, and gets a solid position with ...e6, ...Ngf6, ...Be7 and ...O-O.
- Advance: Short System 4.Nf3: 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 c5 6. O-O Nc6 … — White plays 3.e5 and a quiet setup with Nf3, Be2 and O-O. Black develops the bishop to f5 first, then ...e6 and ...c5, and puts pressure on d4 with ...Nc6, ...Nge7-c8-b6 and the c-file.
- Advance: 4.h4: 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4 h6 5. g4 Bd7 6. h5 c5 … — White uses the h- and g-pawns to harass the f5 bishop. Black answers 4...h6 and drops the bishop back to d7, then counter-attacks the centre with ...c5, ...Nc6, ...e6 and ...Qb6.
- Exchange Variation: 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bf4 Bg4 … — White exchanges on d5 and sets up Bd3, c3 and Bf4 (a Carlsbad structure reversed). Black develops naturally with ...Nc6, ...Nf6, ...Bg4, trades bishops, and plays on the queenside with ...Rab8 and ...b5-b4.
- Panov-Botvinnik Attack: 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nf3 Be7 … — White plays c4 to get active pieces in return for an isolated d-pawn. Black develops with ...Nf6, ...e6, ...Be7, takes on d5 with the knight and blockades the isolated pawn, trading pieces where possible.
- Two Knights Variation: 1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 e6 6. d3 Nf6 … — White develops both knights before d4. Black pins with ...Bg4 and gives up the bishop pair on f3, then builds a solid centre with ...e6, ...Nf6 and ...Nbd7 and plays against White's slightly loose queen and pawns.
Traps you will learn (2)
- Warning: the Nd6 smothered mate — A famous warning for Caro-Kann players. In the Karpov line (4...Nd7), if White plays 5.Qe2 and Black develops the natural 5...Ngf6??, the e7 pawn is pinned and Nd6 is a smothered mate.
- Warning: Ng5, Ne6 and Qh5 mate — Another Karpov-line warning. After 5.Ng5 the move 5...h6? invites 6.Ne6!. Black must answer 6...Qa5+ (hitting the knight later); the 'obvious' 6...fxe6?? allows 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Qxg6 mate.
How the opening courses work
Each course teaches an opening in a few main variations. For every move you read why it is played, which other moves are good, and which tempting moves are mistakes and why. Each course also shows the traps of the opening: the ones you can set and the ones to avoid.
After a lesson you play the moves yourself in a drill. The lines you learn go into your review, which brings them back when you are about to forget them (spaced repetition). 30 line courses add many short lines per opening, a few new ones a day, and every named opening, more than 3,800 lines, has a lesson of its own.
Questions and answers
Is the Caro-Kann Defence course free?
Yes. The Caro-Kann Defence course on chessGM is free, with all 6 variations, 2 traps, the drills and the review. There is no paid plan that unlocks more.
Who is the Caro-Kann Defence course for?
It is a course at intermediate level for Black, written for players rated around 1300.
How do I practise this opening?
After each lesson, play the moves yourself in the drill. The lines you learn go into your review, which brings them back when you are about to forget them, and you can try the opening in games against the bots.