Two structures every Caro-Kann player must know

[@mannylokzzz]

Just gonna hop in before watching the video to let you know that I went 3-2 with one draw against the NY park hustlers last weekend playing all the openings I learned from this channel!!! You really took my game to another level dude I limped in here @350 blitz lol, you’re incredible

[@AlexBanzea]

wp mate, link here if we can see you live :D

[@mannylokzzz]

@@AlexBanzea I flagged against the Panov attack & again after a Greek gift (with opponent’s king on g6 🤬) but blitzing out the jobava bf5 lines was a great feeling lol & great W, & got a W with KID with my position hanging by a thread lol .. will try to film next time!

[@kakawilliam-xh8hs]

When are you coming back to weston manny😊

[@mannylokzzz]

@@kakawilliam-xh8hs eyy not for a while I’m teaching in New York now! Send the chess lads my regards!

[@dillionaire5798]

Best chess teacher on KZbin. Thank you for everything you do.

[@kayodeopenibo532]

You ain’t never told no lie!!!

[@paulonopa]

I agree.

[@jasonsiebold]

100%

[@capurera2]

Love all of your videos, always excited whenever you drop a new one. I feel that your style of explanation with a heavy focus on ideas is really instructive

[@etwowjack]

Alex I would like to thank you for all the videos you have done. I recently started playing seriously and your explanations of positions are very helpful. I absolutely love the Jobava and Caro. Im looking forward to your course on the Jobava. I already have the one from GM Daniel Naroditsky and really enjoyed that one. Recently, I got to meet him in person and thank him as well. Also, your sense of humor is spot on 😁

[@gratefuljoe9252]

Thanks!

[@nittyclips]

Might actually be the first (and last) time I found a move before you. Qb6+ in that first game is killer. Keep it up dude, your content is so fantastic

[@louiscypher6919]

Thx, love the Caro-Kann series. And I'm REAAAALY waiting for some simple, effective, trappy weapon against 1.d4. Thx, Alex!

[@AndytheHumphrey]

Could try Budapest gambit? Also there is the KID, Nimzo, Benko but they all might require more study and familiarity with the structures

[@illuminaut]

Simple and effective: the Dutch. Not aware of many traps though, except against it. Definitely want to be aware of the h3 trap by White.

[@kaidoChess]

4:34 such good insight I’ve been in this similar position so many times. Thank you Alex !

[@howlingwolf317]

Alex gives the best practical insights of any chess channel I've seen, and I've subbed to multiple of them. And what I think is most important is that he'll stick to his recommendations, even if he's spotted a better line that an IM can but many of us can't.

[@kaidoChess]

@@howlingwolf317 YES. Absolutely yes to all of that!

[@lorrekiusvanlorrekien7072]

I love your sense of humour, it's so relaxing to listen to you. On top of that you can even learn a lot watching the vids, the perfect combo :')

[@Saimonn23]

GREAT video. I really enjoyed how you avoided going with winning lines and showed some other ideas instead. Double learning. Please keep up the good work

[@Smitty65721]

With your teaching I am sticking to Jabava, and Caro and doing well. Thanks Alex!!! BTW.... My wife who doesn't play loves your stories!

[@martinreichardt7539]

Danke!

[@gamingkanon7048]

Thanks Alex. Your videos have done quite a bit for me. Up to 1700 from 1500 after starting your videos. Your explanation of concepts and plans click for me much better than other creators.

[@antearaya2408]

By far most entertaining and educational chess content creator! I love all your content, thanks for everything! Last months Ive had to put a lot less time into chess, but i always watch all your videos!

[@leszekebertowski]

Thank You Alex. Because of your influence I’m Vienna and Caro-Kann player.. Love Your content.. All the best ;)

[@DimitarDimitrov-uf7cg]

bravo Alex, more caro kann and jobava london. you are my idol, keep on those videos. even if you repeat yourself it still helps alot. never in my life i learned so much theory, i play in the park and even Fide Masters there say my opening theory is strong. i may lose in the later stages of the game but those players are better rhan me x10. thank you Alex

[@DanielRoberts420]

As a Jobava and Caro player, I love these vids since I'm 1800 :)

[@Kenjitsuka]

I've been watching too much of your videos, because I saw both Knight back AND Queen to B6 ;-) Keep up the good work!!!

[@shahmatsimplex4144]

Greatest chess teacher !! That last position was so instructive. Love all your videos.

[@cegan2]

Predicting the move before Alex does it is the best. Been watching for a while now and I would always get the wooden spoon😅 but now when I catch the right move like Rb3 in the second game, its so baller when you call it before Alex thanks so much for the content!

[@FrustratedSouL_69]

Hey man, after watching some videos of yours I really love how you explain things and wanted to learn caro kann from you but looks like there are a lot of videos that you have made for caro kann so can you please tell me from which video to start to someone who has 0 idea about it?

[@AlexBanzea]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpbVgapnjKZ3qLMsi=4wjLFVv8oJluFues

[@howlingwolf317]

Just want to throw it out there for anyone curious, taking the knight at 27:41 would have been a BLUNDER by white. Alex could still take the queen, and although it looks like he'd be mated with the bishop coming in there is a back-rank check with the rook just in time followed by a nice little fork with the queen on c7. White would be forced to block with the bishop to avoid losing his rook as well, so black gives the queen back up for the bishop to end up an exchange. That's why Alex had 0 blunders in the game 2 review.

[@joefawcett2191]

Between you, chessbrahs, and Naroditsky, we chess youtubers are spoiled! Thanks again

[@MatthieuSCHREK]

Great video, as always. Thank you. I cannot believe the first opponent let you have the central pawn though. Unthinkable.

[@invisiblelathatatlan]

Thanks, I always appreciate a little update on my ""knowledge.😄👍

[@SubmarineMike]

GM Alex. I appreciate your video's very much, Thank you. I might change my white rep to the London seems fun to play.

[@SH-dl4jk]

Finally a new video, been checking every couple hours 😅

[@practiceyourart]

Watching your CK videos help. I'm a newbie right now (900) but have a 55%W rate with black since I learned the CK.

[@johnkarjalainen8003]

At 27:51, if White does Rxb6 Rxd2 followed by Rb8 Bf8 and plays Bh6, Black has Rd1 and Qc7; Black is able to untangle the mate net and grind down the White pieces! White could do Bxd2 instead of Bh6, then, if Black avoids taking the White Knight; Black should consolidate and win a prolonged game! By the way, Mr Banzea's face is not ugly, it is a very Chess able one!

[@LéandreBonzom-Niquet]

I didn't see that during the game great analysis

[@icerabbit9433]

I am a french fan of your channel and videos and i have to say that your french accent is quite decent 😉👍

[@TheMichiganFishHunter]

Nimzowitch said it it 1902. An attack on the flank calls for a counterstrike in the middle. Love the new look.

[@bloodmoney88]

15:00 > what a great game. French opponent... Very impressed with him. Your game obviously won, but he was tight, made you work.

[@benvanasse3397]

Hi Alex - I am sticking to Jobava, and Caro and doing well. Thank you!!!

[@Master_of_Chess_Shorts]

Nice games, especially the second one. You are a good chess teacher.

[@Jpizzakebab]

Dejar Alex I love your content and thinking of buying the course for new years eve. Just a question whats the difference in pawn structure during caro kann in the cases of e4 c6 d4 d5 exd cxd and the classical where white recaptured the e pawn with the Nf3? Thank you!

[@tarnlicht3657]

First game was massively interesting. Very good game and very fun to watch.

[@jondoe8014]

I think Stockfish moved the bishop so it didn't have to advance other pieces until the time was right. Because doing so let stockfish force some pawn moves later with tempo.

[@xaviserra2227]

Very useful!

[@paulonopa]

Pure badass good stuff.

[@jaybingham3711]

5:00 So it seems the exchanging of light square bishops here wasn't really preferred..that taking the f3 N would have maybe been slightly better given it's the advance variation. Do I read your feelings about that correctly? I have an admission: I hack that N off pretty ruthlessly... particularly upon Be2. But me do caveman chess. No know about deep nuance. Me appreciate elucidations. If you would be so kind. 14:00 I had a similar position couple of months ago. Realized that's of course the rarer version of Alekhine's gun...the horizontal kind.

[@VLADIMIRKOTUNOVICS]

Great Video! Thanks a lot!

[@saxonsaxoneast6674]

...like having air conditioning, all pieces are hanging out over there chilling 😂😂😂

[@Aabi-Bro]

700 to 1000 in just two weeks just because of Alex Benzea ❤

[@TalkingToFounders]

love this format

[@thetransferaccount4586]

alex banzea is the best on the internet to teach chess.. unequivocally

[@SH-dl4jk]

Alex are you going to revamp your caro course after releasing your jobava or is your original recommendations same Ty

[@JSJ1978]

Great video by a very good chess teacher

[@andiuri]

Good video!. Thanks you! .

[@tianrunzhang6557]

9:41 Play queen c2, threatens mate, the rook has to move and you win one of the knights

[@richardevans560]

The hot summer and the air conditioner was so funny 🤣I think he had the fridge door open and was sitting next to it and the motor blew up! I don't play Caro but I watch to learn a) how to play against it and b) because I always learn a lot about hot to think about chess when I watch you play.

[@tawheeddar3034]

9:42 bishop b4 was the best i think

[@Mordd08]

Have you done a video on Owen’s defense?

[@동결]

hi i am korean and i like your video because i use carokann too! i have a question, in carokann exchange, if white prevents my minority attack with b4 or a4, how can i punish it? and also white has Na3 - Nb5 fork to d6 bishop and c7 Qween idea with b4, how can i punish it too?

[@youtubefarzan8045]

You are the best chess youtuber ❤❤❤

[@tommymack3210]

What about bishop c5 on 13:20? Hitting both rooks

[@jacovanburen4908]

@Alex: Sir: recently I have noticed a lot of queen side castling in reaction to the Caro. Does your Caro simplified course go into that? If so... I now what to give myself for the holidays... 😇

[@AlexBanzea]

sure, it has it both in the tartakower and the exchange variation. they never really do it in the advance

[@jacovanburen4908]

@@AlexBanzea Sorry, I was unclear: WHITE goes for queen side castling (after the opening) and then goed for a kingside attack.

[@AlexBanzea]

@@jacovanburen4908 it's probably gonna be there, I have all the noob lines included

[@jacovanburen4908]

@@AlexBanzea thx. I try it. And I am such a noob🤫

[@misterclownface]

I was hoping he would of went over the "what if" 27:51 in the second game. He said he was going to let us know after and he forgot. I can always take a look at it later.

[@AlexBanzea]

It wasn’t working actually

[@oathboundhero1782]

Between you and Levy, I'm going to have the most educated Caro Kann ever.

[@SpeechArchived]

For me it's him and and the chessbruh c6 speedrun

[@PerfectArmonic]

You perhaps could make a video when you play against Caro-Kann and win :)

[@cloudlivingchannel7242]

the best Jobava/Caro Kann teacher on the internet

[@the0crowd258]

Interesting 2nd game, usually people don't go for a minority attack with the g6 structure

[@charlescarneiro1735]

Alex, please do a French defense speed run

[@johnmahugu]

coach do for me a speed run using hippo opening both black and white, thats what i play exclusively nowadays

[@ronh3935]

In the exchange game: after Ra2 Rb6 Rxd2 Rb8 Bf8 Bh6 I dont see how Black can get out of the mate... what am I missing??

[@AlexBanzea]

There is …Rd1+Kh2-Qc7 (hitting the h2-king and the b8-rook)

[@ronh3935]

@@AlexBanzea ahh my goodness, completely overlooked this! thank you. So that Knight should have stayed on g3 after all :)

[@nextwenxd4777]

thank you dawg

[@b0ssdude190]

Thank you Alex, my caro needs work.. also the jobava 😅

[@siddharthjain2799]

Hi alex can you make a course on typical minority attack plans in caro kann exchange variation. There are videos from white side in minority attack but this particular topic from black side has v less material

[@HullYeahDIY]

Woah I’m early! Love your content man, I’ve taken Caro and Jobava to 1300 rapid from 400. What openings would you recommend next for me?

[@AlexBanzea]

Same

[@raevix4766]

very nice!

[@tianrunzhang6557]

11:53 bishop c5 attack the rook

[@garp9433]

Hey if I visit Romania where would you recommend I go. Also, got 1930 bullet after your KID vids up from 1720, I was always making the wrong break, now it legit changes the outcome

[@AlexBanzea]

There’s a very nice place next to it called Belgrade

[@synstering]

YES LAD

[@SpeechArchived]

Your jokes are pretty cool man 😂😂

[@AbsentMindedMathematician]

I strongly recommend to train against Leela rather than Stockfish. She plays beautiful positional chess that I think is far more instructive for a human.

[@mooseclamps]

maybe its just me but I play at 1200 and I feel like I face the advance and capture variation a lot. may even be the most common thing I face

[@AlexBanzea]

That’s the point of the video! Haha

[@johnglendinning2611]

My man Alex be running 10k and uploading chess tutorials. What can’t he do!?

[@davidmchugh7264]

Nice games 😂

[@Prathap-21]

300-1100 in 50 days thanks Alex 🎉

[@rainerzufall689]

I found it quite impressive that Jan Gustafsson actually got a draw against SF lvl 8. Not easy to win indeed!

[@jefftaylor1186]

I’ve been playing the Caro-Crab for 30 years.

[@RoryMcgowan]

“He should move the knight here but it’s difficult to to see for beginners” he doesnt see it.. I check his opponent’s elo 1832!! 😂😂😂😭

[@priceisrice1212]

Goat

[@NCSurf888]

The painful moment when you hear him call an 1800 elo player a "beginner".

[@СтаниславХаджиев-щ6т]

Alex casually calling a 1800+ guy a beginner :D

[@rich842]

35:56 😂

[@midwatchcowboy]

No comment.

[@gregrowsey843]

I just noticed that you sound like Count Dracula.

[@samattwood6748]

“You don’t have to buy cocaine to get that emotion!” That’s a fricken double fork killer joke 😂 Because, yes cocaine is a similar sensation, but also because of you want Mia Khalifa to cook you some pancakes, then you better have some cocaine to lure her In.. I don’t know if you meant that, but that cracked me up 😂

[@greybushMEproductions]

Filante is an Italian name.

[@chubaki6263]

36:41

[@grad83]

super meciuri....

[@Kurda111]

13:35 😂😂😂

[@shamassive]

The opponent in the first game is playing like a 900elo

[@vincemcwut9495]

Knight h5, pretty much like having a 3rd nipple 😂

[@bloodmoney88]

RE "pause the video"... you were a move late. Why at 22:16 did you not move your B8 rook to B3? After he moved his B2 pawn to c3, You moved your F8 rook to C8... that could have come after locking down the 3 line with a rook on B3? ... then you could have brought the horse to B6... then the F8 rook... to c8? You could have obliterated him a move earlier. Joy I found something LOL. Stopping his rook on A3... that's why he moved his rook to A3, he saw what you missed. LOL you gave him a breath & he took it... the horror the horror... poor bastard. He played a great game. I want mention that this is not to deride Alex's game, it says he's so good he can miss stuff and win.

[@fgdkfg.0.0.]

the third nipple comment was the highlight of the video

[@reidluttrell3034]

More kings indian, i beg of you

[@masudshah7405]

Very bene

[@LéandreBonzom-Niquet]

15'15 that's me 😅 etoilefilante49

[@LéandreBonzom-Niquet]

ma position était juste injouable toute la partie, je n'ai fais que subir

[@X-ForceBro]

Some of the "audios" weird❤

[@Nightwatcher-wz6j]

Salut frate român🤝🤝🤝