Skip to content
TheChessWorld.com
TheChessWorld Facebook TheChessWorld Twitter TheChessWorld Pinterest TheChessWorld YouTube
  • Start Here
  • Play
  • Learn
    • Training Techniques
    • Openings
    • Middlegame
    • Endgames
    • General Information
  • Tournaments
  • Academy
  • 21-Day Course
  • Store
    • TheChessWorld
    • TCW Academy
    • iChess
    • Chess-Teacher
    • Modern Chess
    • Roman Chess Lab
    • Foxy Chess
    • Grandmaster Magazine
    • ChessLecture
    • ICC
    • Rules Chess Strategies
    • Improve My Chess
    • Others
  • Contact
TheChessWorld.com
Close

The Two Knights Variation Against the Caro Kann: A Practical Choice For White

WGM Raluca Sgîrcea, IM Renier Castellanos
WGM Raluca Sgîrcea, IM Renier Castellanos
10.22.2015
Category: Middle Game
Tags: chess,
The Two Knights Variation Against the Caro Kann: A Practical Choice For White

The popularity of the Caro-Kann Defense has increased greatly in recent years. Away from the old stereotype and bad reputation of being a passive defense, black has found many interesting ideas in the mainlines that give white quite a headache.

The lines with 3.e5 remain very sharp.

The so called Short variation with 4.Nf3 and 5.Be2 is trendy, but the drawback is that its theory has developed so deeply that white needs to remember a high amount of variations in order to obtain any advantage out of the opening. This of course is not very practical for club players with limited time to study chess theory. The same thing happens with the classical line with 3.Nc3. Although it is considerably safer than 3.e5, the character of the play has become pretty forced and white is at the expense of black’s choices.

Nevertheless, these options are white’s main responses and they are probably the best if white is searching for an advantage out of the opening. In this article we are going to deal with a different choice for white, a sideline, but with a good dose of venom and ambitious enough in order to emerge better out of the opening – The Two Knights Variation (2.Nf3 followed by 3.Nc3).

Ready to start systematic training that actually works?

start chess training

Click here to start your training using the day-by-day program.

This system has gained some popularity lately after many top Grandmasters like Vallejo, Motylev or McShane started playing it from time to time.

1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3

two knights

Black’s main response here is 3…Bg4 and after 4.h3 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 white has a very flexible position with many possible plans to choose from. Perhaps this is what is most attractive about this line.

two knights

In this position we can see that white already has a static element in his favor, that is the two bishops, and he can choose many ways to continue his development. For example:

  • White can play in a King’s Indian style with d3 followed by a Kingside Fianchetto and slowly build up his position;
  • White can also play for a kingside attack with d3 followed by Bd2, g4 and queenside castle. This is a very aggressive idea and, of course, more ambitious, but also riskier;
  • White can play with d4, allowing the capture on e4 and obtaining about an equal position. However, with his queenside majority and two bishops the play should be easier for the first player.

These are the main plans for white or at least the most ambitious. Of course, there are more ideas here. For example, he can also play Be2!? followed by short castle, as played by Judit Polgar and Nigel Short, but this is definitely less principled.

Let’s have a look now at the following examples by strong Grandmasters in which we examine one by one the ideas mentioned above.

The kingside Fianchetto: This is ideal if white is looking for a quiet and tense game in which he can maneuver and try to outplay his opponent. We have a deeper look at this plan in the following game:

The Kingside Attack: A more aggressive approach to break through black’s solid position. Needless to say that this is riskier for white, but on the other hand, it leads to interesting and doubled edge positions.

Playing for small advantage with the two bishops: This is one of the latest trends of this system. White settles for a tiny edge based on the bishop pair and a slight space advantage. You can see more in the game below, between Grandmasters Vallejo and Nisipeanu.

With this we conclude our article on this reliable system against the Caro Kann. We hope that you have enjoyed the examples and you will include this system in your opening repertoire. Good luck!

If you want to improve your chess level, you need to have a clear study plan. If you aim for a dramatic improvement at chess you need to work on all of the elements of the game in a systematic way:

  • tactics
  • positional play
  • attacking skills
  • endgame technique
  • classical games analysis
  • psychological preparation
  • and much more

That seems to be like a lot of things, and that is. But no worries, we have made it easy for you. Our comprehensive training course covers it all and much more. Sign up for 21 Day Training right now!

Find this post useful? Share it?
Become a Chess Player You've Meant to Be!
TCW Academy is the fast, fun & convenient way to become a MUCH better chess player.
Join Academy Today!

Related Posts

  • We’re Hiring!We’re Hiring!
  • Happy 2023!Happy 2023!
  • 10 Reasons to Train with Chess Coach10 Reasons to Train with Chess Coach
Related Products
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Login
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Join the FREE Road to 2200 Masterclass (and learn how to Attack Like a Chess Master)
We value your privacy
Supercharge Your Chess in 21 Days!
Join Academy Today!
TheChessWorld.com
http://pogonina.com/
Company
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • F.A.Q.
  • Partnership
  • Blog
  • Grandmasters
  • Jobs
Chess Resources
  • TCW Academy
  • The Store
  • 21 Day Course
Top Resources
  • Opening Lab
  • Mastermind
  • Chess Mastery Series
  • Academy
100% Secure Purchase
Customer Support +1 (410) 656-9104
Email Us [email protected]
Contact Us
Facebook Twitter Mail Pinterest Youtube
Copyright 2007-2023 • TheChessWorld.com • All Rights Reserved
Cookie Policy | Acceptable Use Policy | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of all the cookies.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
wpDiscuz
wpDiscuz