[Event "Caro-Kann: Illustrative game advanced variation"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/B35xSz0V/dfp6qQbL"] [Result "*"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B12"] [Opening "Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Botvinnik-Carls Defense"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/realhercules"] [StudyName "Caro-Kann"] [ChapterName "Illustrative game advanced variation"] [UTCDate "2020.07.18"] [UTCTime "13:34:42"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/B35xSz0V/dfp6qQbL"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. dxc5 Nc6 5. Nf3 { This move is slightly frowned upon as it allows Black to play ...Bg4. The struggle in this variation often revolves around the e5-square so normally the knight on f3 is considered to be a superior minor piece to Black’s bishop. As we shall see, though, other factors come into play, the most important being White’s chance to hang on to his extra pawn. Another idea for White, if he wants to develop his pieces without getting pinned, is } (5. Bf4 { A typical continuation then is } 5... e6 6. Nd2 Nge7 7. Ngf3 Ng6 8. Bg3 Bxc5 9. Bd3 { with a pure French position }) 5... Bg4 6. Bb5 e6 { Black has to decide, either now or on the next move, whether he wants to flick in ...Qa5+. He probably should. After 6...Qa5+! 7.Nc3 e6 8.Be3 Arkell’s move 8...a6 is interesting. The point is that after 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.a3 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 Black can simply play 11...Bxc5 with a level game as 12.b4 fails to 12...Bxb4. If White wants to keep his extra pawn he has to play 11.gxf3 but Black’s superior structure gives him obvious compensation. } 7. Be3 { After 7.b4 Black won’t get his pawn back but can instead develop positional compensation by playing 7...Qc7 8.Bb2 b6! 9.cxb6 Qxb6 10.Bxc6+ Qxc6. The white queenside is full of holes. TIP: This ...b7-b6 idea is an important resource when White grabs the c5-pawn and supports It with b4. It often leads to good compensation } 7... Ne7 8. c3 a6 9. Ba4 { White should keep his bishop and the pin. At first glance it may look like a good idea to simplify with } (9. Bxc6+ Nxc6 10. Bd4 { but this position contains surprising hidden resources for Black. For example, after } 10... Bxf3 11. Qxf3 { not only is } 11... Qg5 { good but also } (11... b6 12. cxb6 Nxd4 13. cxd4 Qxb6 14. Qd1 Rc8)) 9... Qc7 10. Bd4 Ng6 11. Nbd2 f6?! { it was better to play something simple like } (11... Be7 12. O-O O-O { True, Black is a pawn down in a relatively quiet position but the compensation is there, mainly because the white position is so inflexible. The bishop on d4, in particular, is doing a very nice impersonation of a pawn. }) 12. exf6 e5 13. fxg7 Bxg7 14. Be3 Nh4 { After } (14... e4 15. h3 exf3 16. hxg4 fxg2 17. Rg1 { White stands well as } 17... Qh2 { is simply repulsed by } 18. Nf3) 15. Rg1! { Much safer than 15.0-0 because then 15...e4 would be dangerous. } 15... e4 16. h3? { A very careless move which soon lands the white king in hot water. White had another way to save the pinned piece, namely } (16. Bxc6+ bxc6 17. Qa4! { I think Black is in serious trouble here as after } 17... exf3 18. Qxg4 Nxg2+ 19. Kd1 { his king is worse off and White is still a pawn up. }) 16... exf3 17. hxg4 Nxg2+ 18. Kf1 Nxe3+ 19. fxe3 O-O { Now White’s position is an uncoordinated mess with an exposed king. Not surprisingly, he didn’t last long. } 20. Bb3 Kh8 21. Bc2 Rae8 22. Nb3 Rxe3 23. Rh1 h6 24. Rh3 Qf4 25. Bf5 Rxf5! 26. gxf5 Qc4+ 27. Kf2 Re2+ { 0-1 Black resigns } *