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Caro-Kann: Advance Variation

White grabs space with e5. Black develops the bishop to f5 first, then strikes the centre with ...c5.

Intermediate · Other answers to 1.e4 · 13 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Caro-Kann: Advance Variation (B12). You play Black. White grabs space with e5. Black develops the bishop to f5 first, then strikes the centre with ...c5.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...c6

Black plays pawn to c6. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 9% of 1.8 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 77% of 163k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...d5

Black plays pawn to d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. It opens a line for the queen on d8. It challenges the opponent's pawns. It attacks the pawn on e4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 97% of 125k games.

Step 6

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.e5

White plays pawn to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It gains space. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 34% of 122k games.

Step 7

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...Bf5

Black plays bishop to f5. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (e4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 76% of 40k games.

Step 8

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 40% of 31k games.

Step 9

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...e6

Black plays pawn to e6. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 99% of 12k games.

Step 10

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.Be2

White plays bishop to e2. It develops the bishop into the game. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 94% of 13k games.

Step 11

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...c5

Black plays pawn to c5. It controls the centre (d4). It challenges the opponent's pawns. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 27% of 11k games.

Step 12

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.Be3

White plays bishop to e3. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (d4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 58% of 3367 games.

Step 13

♜︎♚︎♛︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♞︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the Caro-Kann: Advance Variation. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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