Caro Kann Advanced Variation Chess is Fun Book 21 Jon Edwards PDF

With 3.e5 in the Advanced Variation of the Caro Kann, White immediately gains more space and more room to maneuver for a kingside attack. By clear contrast, Black’s position is cramped in part because the king knight cannot safely reach f6. If there is a problem for White, it is that 3.e5 is committal. As a consequence, Black will immediately be able to post the usually bad-light-squared bishop on f5, itself a target but certainly more active than it would be after 3…e6.

White will aim to develop quickly, coordinating that development in an effort to attack on the kingside. In many variations, White can gain time by attacking Black’s light-squared bishop, but there are very few occasions when the bishop actually gets into meaningful trouble.

By contrast, Black will counter on the queenside, usually with …c5, a move which in itself costs a tempo (Black had already played …c6). The alternative is to attack the central pawn chain at the head with …f6.