Caro-Kann Defense - Exchange Variation (and how to punish it!) ⎸Chess Openings

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The Exchange Caro-Kann is a very passive way for white to fight for an advantage against 1…c6. With the exception of the Panov-Botvinnik Attack, which will be covered in a separate video, this variation lets black equalize straight out of the opening if he plays well.
Caro-Kann Defense - Exchange Variation, B13 - Chess Openings for Tournament Players
For the basics of the Caro-Kann Defense, an overview of the common variations and the basic plans for both colors check out this video: • Caro-Kann Defense (int...
The exchange variation often means the boring variation. Same as in the French Defense, when white goes for the central pawn exchange in the Caro-Kann, he has conceded most of his opening advantage. The only line for white which retains the opening edge is to play 4.c4, the Panov-Botvinnik, the normal exchange variation usually favors black slightly.
The position arises after:
1.e4 c6
2.d4 d5
3.exd5 cxd5 - this is the start of the Exchange Caro-Kann; from move four, white can choose from several different moves, with different ideas in the opening. The most common continuation is to play 4.Bd3, developing the bishop to the long diagonal, after which white will most likely play c3, castle short and develop the knight to f3. This, however, doesn’t give white anything out of the opening and black is equal.
After:
4.Bd3 Nc6
5.c3, black has several moves. The normal (passive way to develop) is 5…Nf6. The most active moves, and the way to punish white for not attacking in the opening is to play either 5…e5 or 5…g6. In both lines, black has excellent attacking prospects and can easily equalize.
All this being said, the Exchange Variation of the Caro-Kann defense is not bad for white. It just doesn’t give him an opening advantage. It’s equal, which no opening should be after move 4-5.
The Panov Attack will be covered separately, and that’s what will be the most common continuation on move 4 for white, but the exchange is a variation which every Caro-Kann player should know well, since it can often be a great chance to get an easy middle game position.
This is a game I played a few weeks ago in the Exchange Caro-Kann:
• Black in the Exchange ...

[@UrnestHemingouey]

I needed these ideas. Players under 2000 often do the exchange variation and enter drawish positions against stronger players, so you need to escape the solid games.

[@Froge4291]

@Perseus Georgiadis that is the good and the bad thing, the position is solid but slow and _boring_

[@tkoffee1032]

@Perseus Georgiadis i hate playing the exchange because I never really studied the theory for it

[@dkpandey1996]

Your Caro Kann lessons have won me many games. Thank you very much, you're a great teacher.

[@michaelvanzyl9418]

Yay 😀 more Caro-Kann

[@aqib8755]

You know now we guys are doing good

[@Sun-gs6hq]

3:05 4. Bd3 13:20 4. c3 14:23 4. Bf4

[@regisdaniels354]

Where is Nf3??

[@Sun-gs6hq]

@@regisdaniels354 I forgor 💀

[@ЗьміцерГрамадскі]

Thanks a lot, I actually struggle in exchange Caro as it’s so boring to play without knowing the ideas.

[@michaelbuckingham4830]

Great sneaky e5 move. I’ve never seen it. Might play it on Tuesday if I get a chance.

[@ernestosimbulan9859]

Cool thumbnails for each video with equally cool content. Wish i had access to this 20 years ago- I could be much stronger now.

[@bulentkirca3311]

Thany you Stephane :) Personnally I prefer the line with 4...Qc7 (after 3. Bd3 Nc6 4. c3) which, in my opinion is more solid. The main raison I see is to prevent Bf4 in order to be able to play Rb8 to start the minority attack in the Carlsbad pawn structure. Beside, I don't like the lines with ...e5 which end with an IQP for black that I hate to have :)

[@greatwhitenorth762]

Excellent info and video, thank you, but it seems you didn't cover one of the possible moves for white at move 4., namely 4.Nf3. I've watched the video twice now and can't find it anywhere. ?

[@corymclean7727]

was also looking for 4. Nf3

[@corndogtorpedo]

@@corymclean7727 Lol I'm also wondering about that, it was listed on the right hand side, but instead HP mentioned the Panov :)

[@PAtLimits]

Great video my friend, thank you for helping, keep it up, you will grow faster with this channel.

[@Richard-yx9bf]

Very interesting and explained excellently. Great work!

[@RuMpLe4234]

You didn't cover the 4.Nf3 variation

[@rhysgriffiths9675]

This was awesome. Thank you!

[@trynagetby181]

Extremely informative!

[@eskimoform]

please update this to include 4.nf3

[@Johnsli]

8:48 I have had this position 1 time in 50 caro kann exchange games, if you count the games where white plays d4 on move 3 instead of 2 (mostly they play Nf3 either on move 2 or 3).

[@ork0_095]

well, it's mainly because you are bellow 1200.... where openings and such intricacies don't really matter, after you reach 1800.... that will be by far the most common caro kann exchange variation.

[@Johnsli]

@@ork0_095 I'm not below 1200, but it's true that many of these videos are based on what happens at top level chess and won't be particularly relevant for most of the viewers.

[@yunpac7240]

​@@ork0_095im at 1800 and after exchange i always get nf3 as a fourth move

[@shashank270502]

so what do u do after that

[@Johnsli]

@@shashank270502 Me? I normally play Nf6 followed by bg4, unless white plays h3 (which they have almost half the times). Have had the position in the video some 20 times by now.

[@beskeptic]

Thank you! Great content!

[@freespirit995]

Excellent and very instructive video! Thank you.

[@dronai]

I didn't find Nf3 on the 4th move in the exchange variation ? I played Bf5 as you suggested gettimng that diagnal. But worried about the weak b5 square and the Knight & Bishop combo

[@michaelebinabo5177]

Thank you.

[@hakobo2744]

just me or he didnt go over 4. Nf3?

[@richardfabrizio8998]

Nice analysis. Thanks

[@loucavida]

So what about 4.Nf3?

[@thirdEye915]

my opponents frequently plays after exchange Bb5+

[@thirdEye915]

@@MrMPAROUARE yes... ☺. where r u from??

[@thirdEye915]

valo... tournament khelle knock diben,, dekha hobe 😀

[@High_Priest_Jonko]

You can block with Knight or Bishop

[@andrewmayo9400]

you can intercept with the bishop, retake with queen if they capture, and you've traded off your potentially bad bishop, and you're good

[@besto5486]

@@andrewmayo9400 i like taking with Knight to develop and at the same time exploit the open c file after casting without being blocked by the knight on c6

[@urdapilleta]

Do you use books or simply look out for best lines using a database? Great job by the way.

[@HangingPawns]

I use books and databases. I can't really get a grasp of the opening using only one. And thanks!

[@justanotheryoutubechannel3102]

I just started studying the Scandinavian Kloosterboer Gambit *1.e4 d5 2.exd5 c6!?* because I'm so sick and tired of the too passive Marshall Variation (2...Nf6). In studying theory, there are transpositions to the Caro Kann. I've always thought of it as a POSITIONAL (BLECH!) opening, so I'm trying to find TACTICAL theory for *1.e4 d5 2.exd5 c6 3.d4* and maybe get some insight into lines where the beyond weird looking ...Qe7 is played and maybe some Ideas for knights on e7 which is super fugly in my gambit loving world. I'd RATHER be playing an ...f5 based Rousseu/Luccini/Calabrese/Jaenisch-Schliemann etc. gambit repertoire, but there's just soooo much theory! The Kloosterboer is much simpler and I already have experience with 2.e5, 2.Nf3 and 2.d5 sidelines.

[@sven179]

Am I missing something, or was 4. Nf3 not mentioned?

[@regisdaniels354]

I said the same thing...I guess it will also be covered in a different video

[@justanotheryoutubechannel3102]

3:17 *.c3 Nf6* I was studying 5...Qc7!? because it performs best at my 1700 level, or because stockfish likes it. I totally prefer Nf6 and would chose it as my first piece move in any opening if possible. Looks like you won't be explaining Qc7 ideas. 1600-2000, 5...Nf6 is 50:44 favoring white in 1m games, but 5...Qc7 scores 44:50 favoring black in 112k games.

[@remi1771]

What about 4. Nf3?

[@Adwaithkrishnabl123]

Watching this 6 years later When stjepan is saying Exchange caro kann is the most annoying And my weapon against the caro kann😅

[@Thom176]

After move 133: ‘..and this is now the starting position’

[@semiotik]

Love your stuff, but good lord, there are like 50 ads ;p

[@MrTruke]

Best vidéo.

[@douwehuysmans5959]

Another line is h3 after c3 and nc6 in the bd3 line

[@ellenrevell9567]

I'm not sure 4. Nf3 was actually ever covered was it? If so, can someone post the time for this?

[@otaviocf4657]

I just noticed that as well. Came back to this video to brush up on the Nf3 Exchange Caro, but the line isn't covered, despite being on the screen.

[@juanbautistasoria757]

Lakdawala suggests 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Nf3 (you can also transpose to this position with 2.Nf3 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.d4) Nf6 5.Be2 (5.c4 transposes to the panov-botvinnik) Nc6 6.O-O Bg4 7.c3 e6 8.Bf4 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Bd6 10.Bxd6 Qxd6 And after this, black has his usual minority attack ideas

[@trevbarlow9719]

Was 4.Nf3 discussed? I could not find it.

[@ApiolJoe]

4...Bg4 and Bf5 are okay on that. 4.Nf3 puts zero pressure on your light square bishop for it to find a good square.

[@trevbarlow9719]

@@ApiolJoe thank you very much for that. Unfortunately, I've stopped trying to learn the CK at least for the time being. I just couldn't seem to get the hang of it and went back to the Pirc.

[@douwehuysmans5959]

@@trevbarlow9719 the idea of the CK is to get rid of your light square bishop before or after you play e6 and only then play for c5 which differs from the French where you LS bishop gets stuck

[@douwehuysmans5959]

@@trevbarlow9719 the problem people who heard 'bishops are worth more than knights' in the CK is that they try to preserve their light square bishop and allow a lot of counterplay with h3 and g4 while they aren't developed

[@user-xw9lt1em3m]

what should i do against 4.Nf3, i usually play Nc6

[@juanbautistasoria757]

Lakdawala suggests 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Nf3 (you can also transpose to this position with 2.Nf3 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.d4) Nf6 5.Be2 (5.c4 transposes to the panov-botvinnik) Nc6 6.O-O Bg4 7.c3 e6 8.Bf4 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Bd6 10.Bxd6 Qxd6 And after this, black has his usual minority attack ideas

[@dimasbastian4642]

Mantaap bang teeus lanjutkan 🙏

[@BS-cn9ec]

How to crush panov botnivik attack

[@FreethinkingPro]

I often encounter Bb5 check followed by Qa4. Is best to block on c3 with knight or d2 with Bishop?

[@baraklotan6937]

I gotta say I like your videos, they are relatively short and cover a lot. One thing I noticed that you didn’t cover here is after bishop d3 some players play h3 (as white) in the next turn - not letting black develop the white bishop properly, what are you suggestions?

[@dylanrees4373]

One year late but I had a look and h3 hangs the d4 pawn

[@baraklotan6937]

@@dylanrees4373 its protected by the c3 pawn

[@dylanrees4373]

Whoops I thought you meant people play h3 instead of c3, my mistake.

[@Lex-gr1ko]

4 years later but, you could try putting the bishop on e6 and going for a fianchetto type setup as in some lines of the panov or (while not as sound) at some point you could try to exchange the bishop via a6 with the rook or queen. Or simply play e6, continue developing and later play for e5 with nge7 to g6, Nc6, Qc7 Re8 etc

[@ninamman]

on lichess usually, my opponent plays like this what do I do? I (i am black ) e4,c6,nf6,d5

[@violetayapur6499]

what do you think about the variation that goes g6 and Bf5 anyways looking to trade and double the pawns

[@mammeljuice]

4.Nf3?

[@mammeljuice]

this is the most common move online. why is no one talking about it?

[@nobanditosjustbussiness2247]

Ай вил спик фром май харт)))

[@ra5hid101]

4:01 did you mean Qb3?

[@Rg-nk3rc]

10:00 Looks like London system

[@nimzovitch5286]

Nice video but stejpan i wonder how you lose against me. Looking for more games with you

[@Nabil65131107]

I am practicing caro kann exchange as white. However, I am facing problems developing and using queenside knight. Any tips on thaf?

[@HangingPawns]

Nbd2 is the common move. It depends on whether you play setups with c3 or c4.

[@alfonstabz9741]

16:16 what happen if white attack by Qb5+? that would put black in trouble?

[@liamhorne986]

Kc8 leaves blacks king safe from White's attack and defends the pawn on b7, it also allows some discovery attacks for black if black moves his knight

[@keerthivasanr8865]

Here after Magnus couldn't punish the exchange Caro in the Chennai Olympiad

[@braveltd]

нормально обьясни спс

[@matthewmelillo7839]

Can you play the Caro-Kann against the English Opening?

[@walterjames8230]

yes

[@robpallot5058]

Yes, although it often transposes to the Slav / Semi-Slav defence

[@Dubzeppelin]

The French exchange for The Caro Kann. Get it alot with lower rated players so need to get lots of perspectives on it.

[@Dubzeppelin]

I dont understand why white would ever choose this variation. It feels like a french exchange but more center control for black.

[@achyuththouta6957]

IDK I would think not capturing it would be too risky and capturing it would give d4,d5 structure which is playable

[@paracletusrevelation4080]

Who is that Asian woman in the back?

[@fergferguson7370]

Man I’m not ready for this video…your voice made me 🤢

[@Anoop9633815341]

For g6 line you recommend if white plays h3 and Bf4 how does black will break with e5?

[@omarwhite2198]

Thank you

[@makentosh956]

Thank you