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Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) CK: Exchange pawn structure (Read 9430 times)
Dragan Glas
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Re: CK: Exchange pawn structure
Reply #15 - 12/16/07 at 02:02:05
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Greetings,

The Caro-Kann is a opening for the endgame specialist.

Learn major piece endings in particular - more often than not, Black needs to exchange off the minor pieces to draw the teeth of White's king-side attack. This is particularly true in the Panov-Botvinnik (IQP) variation.

[Unless White castles queen-side - in which case, the Minority Attack, coupled with piece-play, will be most effective!]

Another reason for exchanging off the minor pieces is that advancing the b-pawn can result in weaknesses appearing at a5 and c5, the latter in particular, which can be occupied by a knight. By exchanging-off the minor pieces, particularly the knights, such weaknesses become less critical.

Once you've entered the late middlegame and endgame, the minority attack can be most effective - breaking down White's queen-side pawn structure and allowing the rooks egress into the enemy position to attack the other pawns on the second and third ranks.

An example of the Minority Attack in action is Kuijpers-Simagin, Moscow 1963.

You should also look at the games of Adams, Andersson, Karpov and Uhlmann, to name but a few.

Amongst other openings, Jansa looks at systems of play in the Caro-Kann in his book, Dynamics of Chess Strategy.

Kindest regards,

Dragan Glas
  
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MNb
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Re: CK: Exchange pawn structure
Reply #14 - 12/13/07 at 00:28:30
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8.Na3! Qxb3 (Nd7!? has not been repeated since 1924) 9.axb3 and 10.b4 or 10.h3 Bh5 11.b4 is somewhat better for White. Sure, it is not much and with accurate play Black should hold the draw. That's exactly the point: Black making a mistake goes downhill, White doing the same only risks straight equality.
  

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Re: CK: Exchange pawn structure
Reply #13 - 12/12/07 at 23:17:10
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Meat wrote on 12/07/07 at 11:14:03:
I'm currently trying to add the Caro-Kann to my black repertoire, but I'm experiencing difficulties with typical exchange pawn structures (exd5 cxd5 c3  e6 etc.).
I find it hard for black to come up with an effective plan. I know I should play on the queenside and most often try to induce weaknesses with a minority attack based on b7-b5-b4.
Meanwhile white pushes f2-f4-f5 and usually his threats are stronger and come up faster. When I finally attack some pawn on c3 or a3 it's simply not enough to distract white's heavy pieces.
My problem is not that I lose out of the opening, but that white's game is so much easier (from my point of view) and I can't find the right ideas to bring it to a halt. 
Any suggestion on what I'm doing wrong or how to handle this pawn structure?


The exchange variation is quite underestimated in my view and can be very dangerous for Black in many typical lines. You are quite right that White's game is much easier to play, however in the mainline which goes: 

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 Bg4 7.Qb3 and now Black usually chooses between 7...Qd7 or 7...Qc8 both of which allow White decent attacking chances, but Black has a third option that is hardly ever mentioned by theory, that option being 7...Qb6. After the solid 7...Qb6 I see little chance for a White advantage, attack or initiative, although admittedly this might not be to everyone's taste for Black .   

TN Smiley
  

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Re: CK: Exchange pawn structure
Reply #12 - 12/12/07 at 12:09:48
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Sorry, you're quite right. Put it down to senility.

As penance I have looked at a database and perhaps Illescas-Anand, Linares 1994, might do beter.
  
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Re: CK: Exchange pawn structure
Reply #11 - 12/11/07 at 16:40:21
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Thanks everybody!

Systems with g6 indeed look promising, as this makes f4-f5 much harder for white to achieve.

Quote:
Joe Gallagher's Caro book touts a different method of play for Black based on ...g6 and ....Bf5, allowing Bxf5.


That's an interesting idea, but at first sight I can't make frieds with it at first sight. After all, one of the things I like about CK is the flawless pawn structure. But certainly Gallagher must know better than me...  Wink

Quote:
Polgar-Anand, San Luis, might be one model, although White played rather badly and the usual general contours of the opening were lost.


I can only find a game in the main line with Nd7, but none in the exchange variation...
  
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Re: CK: Exchange pawn structure
Reply #10 - 12/11/07 at 13:54:35
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This game may give some pointers (iirc black is Brazil champ). Black combines Bg4 with g6 and a minority attack "different style". The idea is to exchange the Bg4 bishop and put the pawns on "white", while g6 and Bg7 are enough to stop any attack. 
Also a nice twist to "knights on the rim are dim" after move 13 Wink
[Event "FIDE-Wch k.o."]
[Site "Tripoli"]
[Date "2004.06.19"]
[White "Kritz,Leonid"]
[Black "Leitao,Rafael"]
[Result "0-1"]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 Bg4 7.Qb3 Na5 8.Qa4+ Bd7 9.Qc2 g6 10.Nf3 Bg7 11.Nbd2 Rc8 12.h3 0-0 13.0-0 Nh5 14.Be3 Nc4 15.Nxc4 dxc4 16.Be2 Nf6 17.Ne5 b5 18.Nxd7 Qxd7 19.a4 a6 20.axb5 axb5 21.Qd2 Nd5 22.Bh6 e6 23.Ra5 Ra8 24.Rfa1 Bxh6 25.Qxh6 Qb7 26.Qc1 Rxa5 27.Rxa5 Ra8 28.Qa1 Rxa5 29.Qxa5 h5 30.Bf3 Kg7 31.g3 h4 32.Qd8 hxg3 33.fxg3 Qa7 34.Bxd5 Qa1+ 35.Kh2 exd5 36.Qxd5 Qxb2+ 37.Kh1 Qc1+ 38.Kg2 Qd2+ 39.Kf1 Qxc3 40.Qe5+ Kh7 41.Qd5 Kg8 42.Qxb5 Qf3+ 43.Ke1 Qxg3+ 44.Ke2 Qd3+ 0-1
  

If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.
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Re: CK: Exchange pawn structure
Reply #9 - 12/11/07 at 13:25:01
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Inn2's post was spot on in my view for the general approach you are after, although it can be easier said than done. Petrosian didn't manage it against Fischer.

Polgar-Anand, San Luis, might be one model, although White played rather badly and the usual general contours of the opening were lost.

Joe Gallagher's Caro book touts a different method of play for Black based on ...g6 and ....Bf5, allowing Bxf5. You might like to look at that.

Your general question though is a very good one. I wish I had a better answer.
  
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Re: CK: Exchange pawn structure
Reply #8 - 12/10/07 at 11:53:29
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Quote:
Maybe you should start playing the QGD as Black. At sub-master level most games will feature the Exchange Variation, when your opponent will have the minority attack and you will have the kingside play.


Grin Grin Grin
I actually play that... with white!
  
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Re: CK: Exchange pawn structure
Reply #7 - 12/10/07 at 11:22:58
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Meat wrote on 12/09/07 at 14:19:37:
I didn't post with any specific variation in mind. I don't see a theoretical problem for black in the exchange and I've always achieved a good position out of the openining. 
My problem ist that in a typical middlegame white's attack on the king usually has more momentum than my minority attack. 
It's rather hard for black go find the right mixture between counterplay and prophylaxis. 
Maybe someone can hint to some model games for black.

Maybe you should start playing the QGD as Black. At sub-master level most games will feature the Exchange Variation, when your opponent will have the minority attack and you will have the kingside play. Wink
  
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Re: CK: Exchange pawn structure
Reply #6 - 12/09/07 at 14:19:37
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I didn't post with any specific variation in mind. I don't see a theoretical problem for black in the exchange and I've always achieved a good position out of the openining. 
My problem ist that in a typical middlegame white's attack on the king usually has more momentum than my minority attack. 
It's rather hard for black to find the right mixture between counterplay and prophylaxis. 
Maybe someone can hint to some model games for black.

Quote:
If the normal setup 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 Bg4 causes some trouble, it might be an idea to investigate 5...g6 with completely different play.


Thanks! I'll have a look at some variations with g6. Since I also play the KID a bishop on g7 feels rather familiar  Smiley


P.S.: I played the CK in a team match today for the first time. He chose the main line (4...Bf5) and I won a nice Q+P ending after a tough fight.  Cool

« Last Edit: 12/10/07 at 11:51:34 by Meat »  
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Re: CK: Exchange pawn structure
Reply #5 - 12/09/07 at 06:52:31
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MNb wrote on 12/08/07 at 21:53:05:
6.Ne2 Bg4 7.f3 Bh5 8.Nf4 += as White has 0 attack + 2 bishops.


White has 0 attack + 2 bishops + 1 silly pawn on f3, hence = Tongue

There's a Nikitin survey in NIC sometime back. He thinks black equalises in this line.
  
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Re: CK: Exchange pawn structure
Reply #4 - 12/08/07 at 21:53:05
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6.Ne2 Bg4 7.f3 Bh5 8.Nf4 += as White has 0 attack + 2 bishops.
  

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Re: CK: Exchange pawn structure
Reply #3 - 12/07/07 at 21:37:06
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MNb wrote on 12/07/07 at 20:31:23:
Inn2 is right.
If the normal setup 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 Bg4 causes some trouble, it might be an idea to investigate 5...g6 with completely different play.



1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Qc7 is already equal. White have 0 attack.
  

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Re: CK: Exchange pawn structure
Reply #2 - 12/07/07 at 20:31:23
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Inn2 is right.
If the normal setup 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 Bg4 causes some trouble, it might be an idea to investigate 5...g6 with completely different play.
  

The book had the effect good books usually have: it made the stupids more stupid, the intelligent more intelligent and the other thousands of readers remained unchanged.
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Re: CK: Exchange pawn structure
Reply #1 - 12/07/07 at 15:13:58
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In the absence of moves, hard to give specific advice. 
generally, make prophylaxis against the kingside attack first, try to 
exchange as many pieces as possible, and only when major pieces left, perform minority attack.  Smiley

The point is that White's bishop already  on d3, which means he is many tempi up on normal queen's gambit exchange positions. So Black should not go immediately for minority attack as if he were playing White.
  
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