Caro-Kann Defense: Karpov Variation, Modern Main Line
Caro-Kann Defense: Karpov Variation, Modern Main Line is a chess opening with the ECO code B17, part of the Caro-Kann Defense family. It goes 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Ng5 Ngf6 6. Bd3 e6 7. N1f3 Bd6 8. Qe2 h6 9. Ne4 Nxe4 10. Qxe4. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... c6. After 19 moves it is Black 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... Nd7 – Black plays the knight to d7
5. Ng5 – White plays the knight to g5
5... Ngf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
6. Bd3 – White plays the bishop to d3
6... e6 – Black plays the pawn to e6
The line goes on for 7 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.
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