Caro-Kann Defense

The Caro-Kann Defense in chess is Black moving its queen's bishop's pawn forward just one space (c6), in response to the standard King's Pawn Opening (e4) by White. This defense is considered to give Black parity with White after a few moves: 1.e4 c6.

This is a solid, albeit less flashy, opening for the black side which facilitates developing strong defenses against an expected attack by White. It is named after 19th century chess players and was triumphant at the 4th German Chess Congress, which was played in 1885 in Hamburg, Germany. World chess champion Anatoly Karpov liked to use this defense.

The purpose is to set the foundation for following with 2. ...d5, which is then protected against capture by the pawn at c6. This defense helps build a solid pawn structure, and frees the light-squared bishop for attack. Its disadvantages include slower development, and less space for Black to maneuver.

Depending on how White responds, this defense can easily morph into the French Defense, so it is advisable to be prepared to use that strategy also.^[1]

Statistics[edit]

White is victorious 38% of the time with this opening, while Black prevails 29%.

References[edit]