Attacking the Caro-Kann

The Advance Variation of the Caro-Kann Defence (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5) attracted for the first time the attention of the chess theoreticians during the World Championship match between Mikhail Tal and Mikhail Botvinnik back in the year 1961. White seems to lose a tempo for the move 3.e5, but closes the centre in this way, providing himself with a considerable space advantage and impeding the harmonious development of Black's kingside.

The Advance Variation of the Caro-Kann Defence is a very good alternative to the Classical Variation 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 (or 3.Nc3) dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 (4...Nd7). The theory after 3.e5 has developed extensively nowadays too; nevertheless, the positions of the Advance Variation are considerably less studied than those in the classical lines, in which there is much less practical fight and much more a comparison of thorough theoretical erudition.