The two new ChessBase courses "How to play the Caro-Kann Defence" 1 and 2 by Spanish Grandmaster Àlvar Alonso Rosell are definitely worthy of a wide and enthusiastic following! I'll explain why I think so in a moment! However, for those who, like me, have never heard of the author, it should be said that Àlvar Alonso Rosell has won the Catalan Youth Championships several times and was even the Spanish Champion in 2011! His expertise is also confirmed by his many years of work as a writer and teacher. He regularly writes about openings for the ChessBase magazine and has long since made a name for himself as a theory expert.    

How to play the Caro- Kann Defence Vol. 1 & 2

Unlock the secrets of one of the most resilient and strategic openings in chess with our comprehensive video course, “The Caro-Kann Defence.”

The Caro-Kann defence has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent decades. For a long time the Caro-Kann was considered a reliable draw weapon in the repertoire of many Grandmasters and amateurs due to its solidity. However, towards the end of the 1990s the influence of creative young players and increasingly powerful computer programs led to a fundamental change in the perception of this opening.

Since then, players of all classes have been using the Caro-Kann Defence to confidently play for a win against 1. e4. And I am absolutely certain that the two new publications by GM Àlvar Alonso Rosell will undoubtedly contribute to the popularisation of this counter-attacking opening – and rightly so!

Let's now jump straight into the content of the two new courses: Volume 1 has a playing time of a whopping four and a half hours and deals with the classical variation after 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3/Nd2, the modern 1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.d3!? and the popular Advance Variation after 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5.

Whereas after 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 the moves 4...Bf5 or 4...Nd7 followed by Ngf6 used to be the focus of attention in opening theory, the move 4... Nf6 has now clearly outstripped the two alternatives. 4...Nf6 with the sequence 5.Nxf6+ exf6 6.c3 Bd6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.Qc2 Re8+ 9.Ne2 and the modern 9...h5! is also the recommendation of Grandmaster Rosell. He analyses the lines and sidelines arising after 10.0-0 h4 11.h3 and 10.Be3 Nd7 11.0-0-0 in detail!

In the 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Advance Variation, the Spanish Grandmaster recommends 3...c5, discussing 4.c3, 4.c4 and, of course, the main variations after 4.dxc5 e6 and 4.Nf3, GM Bologan's recommendation.

Exchange Variation, Panov, Pseudo-Panov and more

Volume 2 deals with the solid Two Knight's Variation 1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3, the popular Exchange Variation 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3, the once dreaded Panov-Attack 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4.c4, the Pseudo-Panov 2.c4, the King's Indian Attack 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2, the Fantasy Variation 2.d4 d5 3.f3, and a multitude of side variations such as 2.Nf3 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Ne5, 2. f4, 2. b3, 2. Ne2 etc. Here, too, the playing time is almost four and a half hours.

In the Exchange Variation, after 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Rosell recommends 4...Nf6, and explains the lines arising after 5.c3 Bg4 and 5.h3 Nc6 in great detail and instructively. The once dreaded Panov-Attack (4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3) is convincingly countered with 5...Nc6 6. Bg5 dxc4 and 6.Nf3 a6!? as is the alternative 6.Nf3 Bg4. I particularly like that Rossel almost always throws in alternative lines and occasional innovations, even in minor variations, which can be used to expand your repertoire in the future.

Against the Two Knights Variation 1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3, Rosell recommends 3. ...Bg4, a move that once was very popular but is only rarely played today. Rosell could have taken the easy option and recommended 3...dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6, analogous to the classical variation. The Spanish grandmaster explains in great detail why he did not take this route. An advantage for the buyer, as in this way he gets a second and sometimes even a third variation that he can fall back on if the positions after 3...Bg4 seem too worn out to him at some point.

Rosell also vividly explains how he used to like to play 3...Nf6! as a reply to the Two Knights' Variation and why he no longer considers the knight move to be practical: After 1 e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Be4 5.Bc2 d5 6. d4 e6 7.Ng3 c5 8.Bd3 Nxg3 the modern 9. fxg3!? has put him off the line - White's pressure on the f-file is hard to counter.

In the ChessBase Opening App, you can then train the new repertoire in a targeted way and have the variations demonstrated in different modes, which significantly increases the recognition value at the board. And of course you can also train numerous key positions from the entire repertoire and play them against an engine, which is also very practical.

Conclusion: I found GM Rosell's presentation of his core repertoire very impressive, but I liked his ideas in rare and often underestimated sidelines even a bit better! Highly recommended!

How to play the Caro- Kann Defence Vol. 1 & 2

Unlock the secrets of one of the most resilient and strategic openings in chess with our comprehensive video course, “The Caro-Kann Defence.”