Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Seirawan Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code B19, part of the Caro-Kann Defense family. It goes 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Ngf6 11. Bd2 e6 12. O-O-O Bd6. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... c6. After 24 moves it is White to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.
The moves
1. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
1... c6 – Black plays the pawn to c6
2. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
2... d5 – Black plays the pawn to d5
3. Nd2 – White plays the knight to d2
3... dxe4 – Black captures on e4 with the d-pawn
4. Nxe4 – White takes on e4 with the knight
4... Bf5 – Black plays the bishop to f5
5. Ng3 – White plays the knight to g3
5... Bg6 – Black plays the bishop to g6
6. h4 – White plays the pawn to h4
6... h6 – Black plays the pawn to h6
The line goes on for 12 more moves; the lesson shows them all.
About the Caro-Kann Defense
Black answers 1.e4 with 1...c6 and then ...d5. It is like the French, but the light-squared bishop can come out first.
Black often plays ...Bf5 or ...Bg4 before closing the position with ...e6.
The pawn structure is very solid, so Black rarely gets mated early.
Black later frees the position with ...c5 or ...e5 and aims for a good endgame.
chessGM