Caro-Kann: Advance Variation, Botvinnik-Carls Defense

[@jaafars.mahdawi6911]

As a lifelong anti-social-media introvert, i can't stress enough how much, first time here, i enjoyed the calmness of the tone together with the simplicity of the explanation. Keep it up!

[@BadBishopChess]

Thank you a lot for your support! Great to hear that!

[@uouo5313]

You would also love Eric Rosen! His videos are educational, fun, and extremely soothing

[@xxxzumaxxx]

Same

[@macleadg]

So many videos go through moves but not motifs or ideas. This approach is much more helpful.

[@polz0vatel]

Very instructive! Love this format of explanation

[@kenbagwell8551]

A nice, concise overview. I will start here. Thank you!

[@UragonKadi]

I've been using the Caro-Kann with success, consistently placing the light square bishop on f5 for an early advance. After watching your video, I'm considering delaying this move to explore a new variation. Thanks for sharing!

[@ClubAcademiadeAjedrezVinadelMa]

Hello, recently I lost a game at a tournament playing carokann, my opponent played the advanced variation. This is very useful, as I had no idea of the plans in the opening. Thank you so much! ❤

[@MaharaMudara]

So glad I came across your channel! Not only looking forward to the other Caro videos but also the Chebaneko Slav plus QG and English for White. Your channel caters perfectly to my current opening repertoire (and where I want to go with it). Thanks!

[@davidblue819]

From the point of view of playing the French usually and the Caro-Kann just sometimes for a change, this seems practical. The ideas are more normal (for a French player) than after 3... Bf5, and the short presentation with a strong focus on the most important things to remember is appropriate for variations that won't come up very often.

[@kesetokaiba]

2:08 This sacrifice is a pattern known as the Night Attack according to Kmoch's book, Pawn Power In Chess. It is always nice to see patterns repeat themselves because coincidentally, my most recent KZbin video is on this pattern!

[@BadBishopChess]

Thanks for the comment! I will definitely take a look! And thanks for mentioning the book. Sounds familiar, but currently can't recall anything from it. Will check that one too!

[@kristof414]

Thank you for this video. As a club level player I've been always afraid of advancing and losing c pawn without any obvious compensation.

[@Peter7chess]

Excellent, calm explanation, and I will definitely play this. I feel comfortable with the black pieces in this opening.🤩🤩

[@man_uel6887]

Great content. Really looking forward for similar explanation for exchange and other main variations (already seen tartakower)

[@valec9186]

I've been looking at a lot of chess content on youtube in the past month. I watched so many chess channels, even other small ones like yours, and I got to say your channel is one of the most instructive one. You're very good at explaining ideas in a very clear way and sometimes you explain very well how to exploit opening mistakes by our opponents, which is very rare and very useful. You really deserve more subscribers.

[@BadBishopChess]

I appreciate that! Mainly thanks to the Lichess platform, there were a lot of new viewers and subscribers in the last 6 months. Without their support, I might have considered quitting by now.

[@Grandcapi]

I am currently trying to play the C.Kann and your approach is excellent! Knowing structures is about everything in openings.

[@biplabkar1391]

In my last tournament I lost my final round with this variation and eventually he becomes the champion.So thanks for the idea.I will implement it on my 23rd Jan's Tournament.

[@eduardoayala351]

Very good instructive content. The exercises are definitely very helpful so keep them coming. The space advantage and key square concepts will definitely help my games. Thank you.

[@Kiarvsh]

Very good explanation, I love video's that explain idea's in the openings rather then just the exact move order's, knowing variations is important but for lower level players like me learning idea's is much more better so we don't find ourselves lost when opponent makes a different move, looking forward to watch more videos like this.

[@Geelse_zot]

Great and instructive as always! You got my attention right from the start when you mentioned the bishop on f5 is not Black's best piece. When I still played the Scandinavian i sometimes got a very similar structure when White played 1.e4 d5 2.e5 . I'm not sure if this is good for White but it gets played a lot on my level.

[@borkborkimasporkmrspork9300]

Awesome formatting 😊

[@rhysgriffiths9675]

Nice video. I've been playing this variation for a while, but I learned a few new things. My general experience is that if white tries to capture the pawn and hang on to it.. you will generally get it back after continuing to undermine white's structure. It requires a few precise moves but often white ends up worse. By the way, at 9:03 can't you just capture on b4 because the pawn is pinned?

[@BadBishopChess]

Thanks! As for the 9:03, if ...axb4, there is axb4, and the a1-rook is not hanging thanks to the Bishop on d4. I should've said that this Bd4 serves that purpose as well.

[@Sandro-tp8qt]

Great lesson! thank you!

[@aptudo]

Great summary. I'm a beginner building an opening repertoire and on the black side I'm considering Caro-Kann for as my response to e4. I see mixed advice on whether it's suitable for beginners, but right now I'm liking it. Thanks for the excellent instruction!

[@BadBishopChess]

Thanks for your comment! I'd say that it depends where you are as a beginner. Most of beginner lvl players don't need anything that serious as studying an opening. Instead, opening priciples are better to get to know and practice in each game played.

[@aptudo]

@@BadBishopChess Thank you! I have hit a threshold of around 1050 playing 3 day per move chess and 850 playing 15/10 rapid, so not a complete beginner. I’ve already dabbled in openings but want to get more serious and improve.

[@MaverickJohnson007]

This is very helpful thank you!

[@radex84]

You are doing good job. Thank You.

[@kaiparado]

Thanks for share, excellent video, as always

[@davidflorentin224]

THANK YOU MASTER! I WILL PLAY THIS THANKS YOUR RECOMENDATIONS. GREETINGS FROM ARGENTINA

[@rkh7553]

Great video!

[@Studio100hu]

excellent explanation. methodical, no nonsense.

[@StygianStyle]

I've been playing caro for years and still haven't studied the theory that much unfortunately. The advance variation is one of the hardest for me to deal with.

[@BadBishopChess]

I like playing against it. There are best chances to go for a win win black.

[@Redbirds1100]

Awesome video thanks for the upload.

[@michaelfortunato1860]

Outstanding. Thank you.

[@BadBishopChess]

Glad it was helpful!

[@brauchenurpoints5353]

great video

[@Iexistheresoyeh]

Im sorry you probably wont see this but after QB6 at 10:56 why is this winning? Although its a stupid question I just cant underatand it thank you

[@BadBishopChess]

Thank you for watching and asking about that position. I am on it at the moment, and to me it looks like white has no good move to play at all. The rook on a1 is paralized (can move only to b1, which doesn't change anything, nor develops); the white queen may move to c2, only to get hit by one of the black rooks after black castles; white can't castle, and can't really move away the f3-knight because the d4-pawn falls. Simply their position is hopeless without having a single good move to make any kind of progress. If you are asking how black may improve and win (in a situation where white doesn't move at all), I'd say black can simply castle, put one or both rooks on the c-file, and eventually land on the second rank. And if you want to regain a pawn, you can play Bb2 and take on d4 afterwards (but I wouldn't go for it cause the bishop is better then any of the white pieces). Hope this helps. But in any case I'd like to encourage you to play the same position against the computer, or even switch sides and play with white, to see how black easily converts their huge positional advantage. Hope this helps!

[@joannalewis5279]

Very helpful

[@line8748]

9:02 axb?

[@BadBishopChess]

No problem: ... a5xb4 a3xb4 (the d4-bishop defends the a1-rook)

[@line8748]

@@BadBishopChess Ups sorry, thanks for explanation hahah Will keep that in mind :)

[@sandeepverygoodvedeo8693]

Thanks very much Sir

[@matvei-e2e4]

Nice video. Would you recommend Botvinnik-Carls for >2100 Lichess players or only for beginners? I'm not sure whether it's a solid opening for my level ( >2100 Lichess) Btw can you add an eval bar?

[@kesetokaiba]

I'm usually hesitant about adding an eval bar because this is still the opening and I'm sure most of these variations are all about equal; furthermore, people sometimes overestimate the value of the low depth eval bar because they don't understand the plans of the particular position and this negates their advantage. What good is an advantage of a few centipawns if you don't know how to make use of said advantage? I'm guessing their logic is similar and why they choose not to have an eval bar here.

[@BadBishopChess]

Thanks for the comment! I can't say how much of studying is required in order to play this line on the level of 2100 Lichess, but it is definitely a sound choice and playable even on the highest levels. I would say that on the lower levels Tal variation works possibly better, cause in case of this 3...c5, I'd say that White can take without even knowing where they are going with it, and possibly even pull out some really decent moves (defending the c5-pawn). Even that Bb5 - which typically is done by beginners, and is not great for White - in this case works well for them. That's why I am affraid that this is maybe not the best line for beginners and some intermediate level players. But on 2100 Lichess I am not sure what to expect, and how much effort one needs to invest in order to feel really comfortable. I'd like to hear experiences of other players of various levels. By the way, what is the opening you have in your repertoire currently? If it is the French, this may fit. As for the eval bar, I was thinking about it, but decided not to. Next time I am probably going to do faceless, but with an eval bar.

[@BadBishopChess]

@@kesetokaiba I mentioned something similar in the video. :) Although, I like to check the eval bar, just to be sure that the lines I am recommending are sound. I guess there are good and bad sides of it.

[@matvei-e2e4]

@@BadBishopChess I don't play French as black. Against e4 I go for Caro-Kann

[@TyphFFA]

i’m 2100 lichess and score ~55% with the botvinnik-carls. white can make you more uncomfortable in the early-middle game than bf5 lines, but you often end up in more sound positions

[@nazimbouchaib524]

Thank you for this video

[@paulmacariola10]

Coach please tackle the Nh6 and Bxh6 line in a caro cann defence because I love to attack and I fell comfortable if g file is open. Thanks ❤

[@BadBishopChess]

Thanks for suggestion. Can you provide the whole line please?

[@Hachiro-u1e]

What if white plays...2. Nf3 instead of 2. d4?

[@BadBishopChess]

Just continue with 2...d5. 🙂

[@lukastux3024]

What do you think is easier to play? Bf5 or C5? What I don't like about C5 is that we end up in a French structure where my bishop is blocked and I find it very hard to play such positions

[@BadBishopChess]

You are right, this one includes understanding of the French structure, while Bf5 is less dependent on it. On the other hand, if Bf5, one needs to learn to play sometimes with the seemingly passive e6, d5, c6 structure, getting hit by c2-c4 or the kingside attack by White in some lines. I thought that for someone of about 1400-1500 rating points it may be easier to learn the c5 line instead.

[@lukastux3024]

@@BadBishopChess thanks for your answer :) Now I know why IM Sielecki has chosen this line in his Keep it Simple for Black book... Although when playing the French structure, we always need to know how to solve the problem with the light squared bishop...

[@RishiRaj-w8g]

good video

[@Sid-o8g]

what is white plays 5.Be3?

[@BadBishopChess]

Isn't it in the video? 5...Nd7 should be the best.

[@natsu7165]

I was playing the caro kann today and the c5 pawn move was declared best by the engine.

[@BadBishopChess]

The move 3...Bf5 is not worse.

[@johndelanoe4654]

thanks

[@Julez108]

Nice.

[@hiddenchannel3902]

What about 5. a3 Bxc5 6. Nf3? This is the most annoying move in the entire caro kann!

[@BadBishopChess]

I think that line is mentioned in the video.

[@rv706]

The variation with g5 is crazy. I'm scared (as Black...)!

[@BadBishopChess]

Actually, it is very pleasant for Black. If I remember well, it is already significantly better position for Black at that point. Try it with the engine, you'll see how difficult it is for White. I know it is difficult to believe without testing.

[@rv706]

@@BadBishopChess: I totally believe you! But I'm at club level and certain things do scare me. :) Like the weird Tartakower Caro-Kann; but I tried it and it's playable even at my level. I'll give a try also at the g5 advance... ;)

[@HiuIELTS]

I hope to reach 2000 rating with this opening one day.

[@blablablablablablablablablbla]

This was great. Your English is phenomenal, but if you want an English accent coach in exchange for help with chess 🙋🏻