[Event "The Caro Kann Defence: Complete Repertoire: Chapter #11: - Classical Variation - Finnish Variation"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/MBQ3N0F8/XwLvSNLw"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chapter #11:"]
[Black "Classical Variation - Finnish Variation"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Shreksify"]
[ECO "B16"]
[Opening "Caro-Kann Defense: Finnish Variation"]
[UTCDate "2022.11.09"]
[UTCTime "07:18:10"]
[Variant "Standard"]

1. e4 { [%csl Ge4][%cal Ge2e4] } 1... c6 { [%csl Gc6][%cal Gc7c6] } 2. d4 { [%csl Gd4][%cal Gd2d4] } 2... d5 { [%csl Gd5][%cal Gd7d5] } 3. Nc3 { The vast majority of times, black plays the solid 3...dxe4, one of the
most well-studied of the Caro-Kann lines. Black has alternatives to avoid
the weight of theory, although 3...e6, blocking the bishop, and effectively forming a French, with one tempo less, seems a dubious line. [%csl Gc3][%cal Gb1c3] } 3... dxe4 { 3...dxe4 is black's only good move. Other moves are not in the spirit of
this opening. This move also denies white his e4/d4 pawn center. White
almost invariably responds with 4. Nxe4, but a few gambit continuations do exist. [%csl Ge4][%cal Gd5e4] } 4. Nxe4 { 4. Nxe4 is an obvious recapture. Black has 3 main alternatives. The
Classical Variation, 4...Bf5, usually sees the bishop controlling the light
diagonal from g6. The Smyslov/Karpov variation delays the development of the light bishop, with Nd7, while Nf6 risks doubled pawns for an open
file. None of the other alternatives have seen significant usage. [%csl Ge4][%cal Gc3e4] } 4... h6 { With move 4. h6 Black creates escape square for light squared bishop's
later use. It is usually consired as an inaccuracy and it is therefore
rarely seen in higher levels.
White's most usual respond is 5. Nf3. Natural development move 5. Bc4 is
also played often and usually with an aim to sacrifice bishop in f7. [%csl Gh6,Gf5,Gh7,Re2,Rd3][%cal Gh7h6,Gc8f5,Gf5h7,Rg1e2,Rf1d3] } 5. Bd3 { Simply a developing move, black does not have to worry getting his light
square bishop harassed because of the Bh7 hiding spot. However many may
find this unecessary since black would typically exchange light square bishops. [%csl Gd3][%cal Gf1d3] } ( 5. Ne2 { An interesting sideline in which provokes black to play Nf6 for Bf5 would
only lead to something like Ng3 [%csl Ge2][%cal Gg1e2] } 5... Nf6 { [%csl Gf6][%cal Gg8f6] } 6. Nxf6+ { [%csl Gf6][%cal Ge4f6] } 6... exf6 { [%csl Gf6][%cal Ge7f6] } 7. Nf4 { [%csl Gf4][%cal Ge2f4] } 7... Bd6 { [%csl Gd6][%cal Gf8d6] } 8. Qe2+ { [%csl Ge2][%cal Gd1e2] } 8... Qe7 { [%csl Ge7][%cal Gd8e7] } 9. Bd2 { [%csl Gd2][%cal Gc1d2] } 9... O-O { [%csl Gg8][%cal Ge8g8] } ) 5... Bf5 { [%csl Gf5,Rc5,Re2][%cal Gc8f5,Re4c5,Rg1e2] } 6. Nc5 { [%csl Gc5][%cal Ge4c5] } ( 6. Ne2 { White wants to play Ng3 and kick off the light square bishop forcibly
evicting it. [%csl Ge2][%cal Gg1e2] } 6... Bxe4 { [%csl Ge4][%cal Gf5e4] } 7. Bxe4 { [%csl Ge4][%cal Gd3e4] } 7... Nf6 { Exchanging the bishop for knight is beneficial, black now does not have
to shuffle his bishop thus losing a tempo. [%csl Gf6][%cal Gg8f6] } 8. Bf3 { [%csl Ge4,Gf3][%cal Ge4f3] } 8... Nbd7 { [%csl Gd7][%cal Gb8d7] } 9. O-O { [%csl Gg1,Re6,Re5][%cal Ge1g1,Re7e6,Re7e5] } 9... e5 { Black is planning to play Qc7! Followed by 0-0-0! [%csl Ge5][%cal Ge7e5] } ( 9... e6 { e6 is also possible for those who want to avoid complications on the e file. [%csl Ge6][%cal Ge7e6] } 10. c4 { [%csl Gc4][%cal Gc2c4] } 10... Be7 { [%csl Ge7][%cal Gf8e7] } 11. Qc2 { [%csl Gc2][%cal Gd1c2] } 11... O-O { [%csl Gg8][%cal Ge8g8] } ) 10. Ng3 { [%csl Gg3][%cal Ge2g3] } 10... Qc7 { [%csl Gc7][%cal Gd8c7] } 11. c3 { [%csl Gc3][%cal Gc2c3] } 11... O-O-O { [%csl Gc8][%cal Ge8c8] } ) 6... Bxd3 { White forces black to exchange bishops possibly showing that the move h6
is a waste of tempo. [%csl Gd3][%cal Gf5d3] } 7. Qxd3 { [%csl Gd3][%cal Gd1d3] } 7... Qc7 { [%csl Gc7,Rb3,Rf3,Rd3][%cal Gd8c7,Rd3b3,Rg1f3] } 8. Nf3 { [%csl Gf3][%cal Gg1f3] } ( 8. Qb3 { [%csl Gb3][%cal Gd3b3] } 8... b6 { b6 is forced here, no other way to continue in here. Otherwise black
would forcibly lose a pawn and eventually losing. [%csl Gb6][%cal Gb7b6] } 9. Nd3 { [%csl Gd3][%cal Gc5d3] } 9... e6 { [%cal Ge7e6] } 10. Bf4 { [%csl Gf4][%cal Gc1f4] } 10... Bd6 { [%csl Gd6][%cal Gf8d6] } 11. Bxd6 { [%csl Gd6][%cal Gf4d6] } 11... Qxd6 { [%csl Gd6][%cal Gc7d6] } 12. O-O-O { [%csl Gc1][%cal Ge1c1] } 12... Nd7 { [%csl Gd7][%cal Gb8d7] } 13. Nf3 { [%csl Gf3][%cal Gg1f3] } 13... Rc8 { [%csl Gc8][%cal Rg8e7,Re8g8,Ra7a5,Rb6b5,Ga8c8] } ) 8... e6 { [%csl Ge6][%cal Ge7e6] } 9. O-O { [%csl Gg1][%cal Ge1g1] } 9... Bxc5 { [%csl Gf8,Gc5][%cal Gf8c5] } 10. dxc5 { Exchanging the bishop for knight is beneficial since now white does not
have an outpost on c5 with a knight which is affecting black's development. [%csl Gc5][%cal Gd4c5] } 10... Ne7 { [%csl Gg8,Ge7][%cal Gg8e7] } 11. Rd1 { [%csl Gd1][%cal Gf1d1] } 11... O-O { [%csl Gg8][%cal Ge8g8] } *