The Caro-Kann Defence, long renowned for being a solid and reliable defence against 1.e4, is undergoing a renaissance at the moment. In addition to being a mainstay in the repertoires of a recent World Champion (Viswanathan Anand) and a 2018 World Championship candidate (Ding Liren), it is being flooded with new and creative ideas from a range of other top players, notably Anand's Indian Olympiad teammates Vidit and Adhiban. The pawn structures in this opening leave considerable room for individual interpretation. This book is written for the Black side, though new ideas for White are suggested and old ones occasionally improved. It contains not only the author's personal take on how to deal with all major White tries after 1.e4 c6, but also a range of alternatives for Black- to cater for different types of Caro-Kann player. This repertoire builds on the existing state of theory, taking it in novel, exciting and decidedly modern directions, while not forgetting about the opening's sound strategic underpinnings.
This book presents a comprehensive, ready-to-use, and high-quality repertoire for Black against 1.e4. With meticulous analysis and in-depth explanations, the author demonstrates how the Caro-Kann Defense can be used successfully by players of any level. He also draws on his experience and on his trove of novel ideas to present a new take on the Caro-Kann: one that emphasizes Black's dynamic options while maintaining a solid and flexible setup.
The Caro-Kann has always been one of the most widely played openings among club and tournament players. This handy battle manual deals with the critical main line positions after 1 e4 c6 d4 d5 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4. Highly regarded author Grandmaster Neil McDonald offers a comprehensive survey of the state of current theory for both White and Black players, explaining the basic elements, strategies and tactics for both sides. This guide covers one of the most fashionable chess openings in current practice. It is ideal for club and tournament players and it provides everything you need to know to start playing the main line Caro-Kann straightaway. (6 1/4 x 9 1/4, 144 pages, diagrams)
Alexey Bezgodov presents an unusual idea for White against the ever popular Caro-Kann Defence. The Russian Grandmaster and chess opening expert advocates a very early deviation, the annoying and little explored 3.f3!? This move may look unimpressive at first sight, but it considerably complicates life for Caro-Kann players, as it makes Black’s main problem bigger: the development of his bishop on c8. Small wonder that an increasing number of strong grandmasters, such as Vassily Ivanchuk, Alexander Morozevich and Judit Polgar, have incorporated this move in their repertoire. After 3.f3!? the bishop on c8 has nowhere to go, and Black will often struggle to avoid enduring problems. White’s chances to obtain an advantage are substantial, as Bezgodov shows in this fascinating new chapter in modern chess opening theory, packed with original analysis and clear explanations. ,
In chess the Caro-Kann opening is one of Black's most reliable answers to 1.e4. It is a regular favorite of elite players, who know that computer-aided preparation now threatens the sharpest lines of the Sicilian or Ruy Lopez (at the very least with a forced draw). The Caro-Kann is less susceptible to such forcing lines - Black sets out to equalize in the opening, and win the game later.Grandmaster Lars Schandorff reveals a bulletproof chess opening repertoire and lucidly explains how Black should play the middlegame and endgame.
>Building on his ever creative ideas, Christian Bauer found a way to take a fresh look at the current status of the Alekhine Defense. It's clear that Christian has a definite weak spot for Knights. Surely you will appreciate his best efforts to bamboozle your opponents into self-destruction by using the Alekhine.
The Modern Defence is not a solid opening. In fact, on some level maybe it's not an opening at all. It's the Wild West of chess opening theory, a safe haven for true chess lovers who are just spoiling for a fight. The structures that can result are almost unlimited in their variety and the potential for dynamic piece play is also huge. You need real passion to play it, and also the ability to work hard at the board. But it's also played at the very top: even the names Carlsen and Kramnik occur sometimes in these pages! This book is primarily intended for players who want to play the position after 1.e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 for Black. However, and inevitably for the computer age, there is also a strong focus on chess truth. That means there are also some recommendations for White that are not yet well-known in mainstream opening theory, and that the book has something to offer everyone.
The Caro-Kann is one of the most popular responses to 1 e4. Black stakes a claim to the central squares and seeks free development for all his pieces. While solid, it is by no means a drawing weapon - the resulting positions generally contain at least a degree of imbalance and the critical lines lead to sharp positions with chances for both sides. Many new approaches for both sides have been developed in recent years, and a good understanding of these ideas is vital for anyone looking to handle either side of the Caro with success.
The Caro-Kann is one of the most important and popular responses to 1.e4. World champions Botvinnik, Petrosian, Karpov and Anand have played this reliable chess opening in many of their games. Present-day elite players such as Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana are proving that the ‘drawish’ reputation of the Caro-Kann no longer holds in modern chess. Victor Bologan presents a complete Caro-Kann repertoire for Black that is much more than just a lucidly explained and highly playable set of responses. In many lines Bologan provides – as he has done in his other recent major chess opening books for New In Chess – two options to handle the Black position. Bologan’s explanations are accessible for a wide range of players and he provides the reader with a thorough grounding in the strategic and tactical motifs. During his research, Bologan has found many new ideas and resources. After reading and studying this book you are bound win many exciting games with Bologan’s Caro-Kann!
When you are building your repertoire you have many choices available against 1.e4. Everyone knows the Sicilian is the most dangerous reply but there are so many choices! Most of them are highly theoretical such as the Najdorf or the Dragon. Some are very difficult to understand from a positional and dynamical point of view. The Kalashnikov and the Sveshnikov are two good examples, without even mentioning the amount of theory. I have always been interested by less theoretical Sicilians. I have been playing the Classical Sicilian for a long time and right before the covid period, I decided to find a new one. The Sicilian Kan came to me as a very serious option, and I decided to work on it. In the meantime, my friend and editor Daniël Vanheirzeele offered me the chance to author a book about it. This came to me as a complete surprise, as I had no experience with it. In comparison with my work on the Reti and the Dutch (my two previous books), I am a newbie on the subject. But I decided to accept the challenge. I found it extremely interesting, as this gave me a fresh look at the positions. I think I managed to ask myself the questions everyone would have asked. I also work as a second for others and am accustomed to working on openings I do not necessarily play as well as finding the key ideas very quickly. So, after a deep initial work to understand the variations, I was ready to start writing8 In opposition to my prior efforts, I decided to start with the mainlines. I did it both during my work and then in the structure of the book. It seemed better to address the most difficult lines first to prove that Black gets playable positions, and then take care of the less challenging lines. This approach allows you to have an idea of the typical positions and then compare it with the less usual lines so you may understand why the sidelines are not as good. I take this as an opportunity to share my knowledge of openings and how I analyze them. I started this book with the idea that I wanted it to be useful for all levels of playing strength, from amateurs to even top grandmasters. I really consider the best books to be those where everyone can understand the basics of the variations while also being of use to anyone that aims at going deeper into the theory. I based many of the lines and conclusions in this book not only on computer evaluation, but also from a practical point of view. While I did a deep dive using strong engines when analyzing the lines I cannot say that they are perfect. The most important thing is that all of the evaluations are based upon my own understanding and knowledge of chess. Adrien Demuth November 2021
