How to CRUSH with the Caro-Kann!

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0:00 Intro
0:45 Theory
16:03 Game 1
26:00 Game 2

1. e4 c6 2. d4 (2. Nf3 d5 3. Nc3 Bg4 (3… a6 4. d4 Bg4) 4. h3 Bxf3 5. Qxf3 e6) (2. Nc3 d5 3. Qf3) 2… d5 3. e5 (3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 (4… Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 6. Nf3 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O Re8 9. Be3) 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. h5 Bh7 8. Nf3 Nd7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6) (3. Nd2) (3. exd5 cxd5 4. c4 (4. Nf3 Nc6 (4… g6)) (4. Bd3 Nc6) 4… Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 (5… g6 6. Qb3 Bg7 7. cxd5 O-O)) (3. f3 g6 (3… dxe4 4. fxe4) 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. Be3 Qb6) 3… c5 (3… Bf5 4. Nf3 (4. h4) (4. c4) (4. Nc3) 4… e6 5. Be2 c5 6. O-O Nc6) 4. c3 (4. dxc5 Nc6 (4… e6 5. Be3) 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Bf4 e6) (4. Nf3) 4… Nc6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Be2 e6 7. O-O Nge7 *

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522 Comments

  1. It don't know how, but it actually works… this is a huge steppingstone for me.
    Thank you, Gotham, You have re-installed another chess player!

  2. A year late, but any time there’s a I could edit this out but I’ll just make Ugga booga noise for a little bit instead I can’t help but laugh.

  3. Notes for self

    – it is against e4 (white)

    – first move is c6 followed by d5

    1:20 – double white pawns in the middle

    Advanced Variation 1, but not recommended by Levy (White pushes pawn to e5)= 1:31

    –> Advanced Variation 2, but Levy recommends this = 2:30

    – pawn takes 2:40

    – Nf3 2:52

    – After light sq. bishop pins knight 3:20

    – If light sq. bishop is attacked 3:42

    – white bishop to f4 4:26

    – if white pawn to c3 after central pawns 4:43

    –> Exchange Variation 5:47

    If white normally develops 6:08 (not exactly exchange variation)

    Actual Exchange Variation 8:17

    –> Panov Variation (white pawn to c4) 6:50

    Recommended by Levy under Panov Variation – feincatto 7:30

    –> If they leave the e4 pawn there 8:36

    -> Classical Variation 1 (Knight defends e4) 9:23

    -> once the knight exchange occurs 10:35

    -> they play h3 11:03

    -> they don't play h3 11:44

    -> Classical Variation 2 12:06

    -> Fantasy Variation (white pawn to f3) 12:44

    -> risky attack for black 13:49 (mate in 7)

    -> Two knights variation after white pawn to e4 14:26

  4. Caro-Kann

    Advanced Variation: 2:33
    – Take your C pawn: 2:46
    + If they defend the C pawn with bishop: 3:29
    + If they play bf4: 4:26
    – Defending the D pawn with pawn: 4:46

    Exchange Variation:
    – C4 counter-attack (Defend first with knight): 7:33
    – Bishop d3: 8:17

    Ignoring:
    – Classical variation (defending with knight and taking pawn): 8:57
    + Doesn't take: 10:07
    + Taking: 10:15 (perfect position: 10:35)
    – Fantasy (defending with f3 pawn): 12:46

    2 Knights:
    – Play like Tartikower: 14:30
    – Play like a White Wall: 14:39

  5. levy thanks for being a good teacher i come to this video when i want to fall asleep faster. 😅

  6. beat one 730 rating player with karo-kann 😀
    he dont know what i am doing
    ahhh… chaos ! is a ladder… mid-game was wild…
    but… i keep cool^^…

  7. 11:03 the moment I realize that I’ve seen this exact position in games and didn’t know of this checkmate 😭😭

  8. But what if what if plays bishop to c4 instead of pawn to d4

  9. 28:14 what if instead of pushing e4, you take d4, then queen takes and you push f5, opening your bishop on opponents queen, he has to move her away and you take Bxb2 and his rook is gone?

  10. 6.49 there is little sub variation here….haha nice body language

  11. Can you please do a video on Queen's Pawn Opening: Chigorin Variation, black defense.

  12. Thank you Levy. now i play this for a couple thousand games!

  13. This is how you win in 1 move as black: Camuflage your queen as a white queen but in reality it is a burka queen. E4 means checkmate.

  14. Most of your suggestions are inaccuracy according to stockfish

  15. I play the Scandinavian and sometimes it turns into a caro-Khan variation

  16. so i study now the sicilian opening…
    and i lose alllll my memories of karo-kann XD
    argh… back to the study…

  17. – Fantastic! I Will play it now!
    d4
    -Shit

  18. I finnished the video there is so much useful info I am definitely going to re watch

  19. 10:04 if they don't take my Knight with theirs it's a blunder or inaccuracy 'cause I take it it's a free knight

  20. If u take the f3 knight the g2 pawn will just take

  21. Just watched the first 5 mins here yesterday (05/07/2023) and already smashed a random 1600 in 10 minute rapid with it. Thanks Gotham!!

  22. In game 1 23:41 wouldn’t d2 be much better than moving the king since knight can’t fork king and rook and take rook next move because of checkmate with promoted queen, and knight can’t take pawn because rook takes rook, which is winning.

  23. Thank you for the instruction and examples, happy to learn new tactics with you!

  24. at 7:34 i like Be7 instead of the fianchetto because if white advances their c pawn to c5 then their dark square bishop has an avenue to a strong outpost at d6 that can give you hell

  25. I push my pawn further when ppl play the caro against me to en passant them

  26. why cant i use the engine during the game? i think my chances of winning gets higher hahahaha

  27. Just won a match using the Caro after watching this 😂 thanks as always 🙌

  28. What if after c5 they bring their queen to d3?

  29. Me watching a 35 min long video analysing and learning the caro-cann
    Opponent plays queens pawn in the first move

  30. The problem with white pushing E5 after you play D5 as black is that when I often play C5, which was recommended on this video, white continue defending d4 pawn by playing C3, NF3, BE3.

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