gameID=659068: zucc. vs.wib: public analysis

7 ...Bh7
Game 659068

Bh7, the only move. The bishop keeps a good diagonal, but white can trade it off. Trading pieces at this point isn't bad for black. If black takes the white bishop (I'm assuming white will play Bd3 soon) then I will have moved my bishop 4 times in the opening only to end up trading it off. Seems kinda silly, but since this opening is rather slow and since my light squared bishop will end up being my bad (though active) bishop anyway, I really don't mind removing it from the board.

White's far advanced h-pawn is now annoying, but black is perfectly safe. Since white has already gained space on the kingside, queenside castling usually comes about for white. Development for both sides is slow and black's position feels kind of cramped.

I've still got the same plan as my post above.

8 Bd3
Game 659068

This analysis done before looking at my opening book

I think it is best to develop in preparation for castling...

In order of how strong I think each move is:
Bd3: Allows a trade. A trade seems to favor White in either case.
Be2: Develops a piece and preps for castling. I think it is better for the Bishop to move before the knight.
c3: Supporting d4. Seems like a good move. But not necessary yet.
Nf3: Seems strong, but blocks the f-pawn from f3.
Ne2: Seems weak as it boxes in my light Bishop.
c4: Claiming more of the center. Also seems like a good move. But if I do this it seems my Q-side will be exposed.

after looking at my opening book...
It picks Bd3 as well, so that is my move.

8 ...Bxd3
Game 659068

Hmm... Qxd4 looked very tempting. I snag a pawn and then my queen gets kicked aorund by white's Nf3. So I'd have to retreat her down the d-file or play Qb4+, then white plays Bd2 attacking my queen again and if I then take the b2 pawn white plays Rb1 pinning my queen to my b-pawn and on and on we go... Nope, that's too complicated for my simple mind. That's the sort of thing Paultopia would do! :-)

Nf6 is also possible here for black. It reserves my ability to castle kingside after the white bishop takes on h7, but again I'd rather keep it simple.

So Bxd3. I rid myself of a very active bishop, but nothing else is harmed. White's response if forced. White certainly won't play cxd3 here due to doubling and isolating the d-pawns.

I've still got the same plan. Nf6, e6, Nd7, Be7, O-O, and play for some space on the queenside. Nuttin fancy.

9 Qxd3
Game 659068

This seems forced. And wib said so too, and that's good enough for me.

9 ...e6
Game 659068

I had 3 choices here: Nf6, e6, or Nd7. I don't want to play Nd7 until white plays Nf3. Then a black knight on d7 will defend e5. Nf6 will have to be played at some point, but I like e6 first. It opens the diagonal for my bishop and queen, gives me more control over d5 and f5, and keeps my pawn structure nice and solid. So e6 is it.

Black is behind in development, but the threats from both sides are few so black has time to catch up. White can develop his bishop or g1 knight here. White could play Qb3, but I'll play Qb6 and offer a trade. Trades are fine for black here especially since black still has less space. There are a few other moves for white here, but I'll wait and see what zucc does.

10 Bd2
Game 659068

It seems to me that White is ahead due to having two pieces developed to none for Black. Both sides have opened their King-side protective pawns. I don't feel comfortable castling King-side, so am planning on the Queen-side.

ranked in order of how strong I think each move is...
Nf6: This seems strong, and covers two center squares.
Bd2: Seems to be a stronger move than Be3, as this covers more squares.
Bf4: The most aggressive Bishop move, covers the most squares, and I don't see a way to force it to move other than ...f6, ...e5.
Be3: Gets the Bishop out but doesn't seem to accomplish anything else.
Qb3: Seems to be trouble, as wib pointed out, it leads to a trade or unproductive moves.

My opening book doesn't cover this exact position, but seems to suggest Bd2.

10 ...Nf6
Game 659068

10 ...Nf6, developing the knight and moving closer to kingside castling. I've still got the same simple plan. I'm expecting Nf3 or 0-0-0 here from white.

11 Nf3
Game 659068

Generally, I prefer development of minor pieces to castling. I have a rather poor understanding of how to choose the side to castle on, and will often work to castle King-side when Queen-side would have been simpler and better. I expect Black to finish piece development (..Nd7, ...Be7) and castle King-side.

Nf3: Completes piece development and covers two center squares.
0-0-0: No piece protection. No threats. Should work fine, but scares me a little. Of course, I will castle Queen-side in this game due to my advanced h-pawn. [Perhaps this is where Black can even things up in this opening -- while I shift some protection to the Queen-side?]
Ne3:Completes piece development, adds a defender to the d-pawn, and places the knight centrally so it can get to the Queen-side.

11 ...Nd7
Game 659068

The knight on d7 helps defend e5 and connects my queenside rook to my queen. The dark square diagonals stay open for my bishop and queen and the knight on d7 attacks the c5 square. That usually ends up being a very important square for black. My bishop already attacks it and the queen can join in sometimes if needed.

I'm happy with my pawn structure. Eventually I'll have to try and open a file, usually the c-file. I know the d-file is open for me, but that's a tough file to attack. Especially with white still having a lead in development. The c-file is usually a lot easier unless white trades knights on e5 which draws the white d-pawn to the e-file because of the recapture.

I'm expecting white to 0-0-0 here, but I'll wait and see. Zucc is kinda sneaky... :-)

After that I've got Be7 and 0-0. Then try to gain space on the queenside, open a file, and if I'm lucky knock white's d-pawn off the board and even advance my a and b pawns with rooks on the c-file. But all of that's kind of optimistic. It rarely works out that way.

an interesting position. black's kingside looks vulnerable with the pawn storm already begun -- but white must first find somewhere decent to put his knights to continue said pawn storm, and that's slow enough that black's attack might hit first.

things should get explosive soon 🙂

For a Caro-Kann, this position has a lot of potential aggression on both sides, probabaly not to Wib's liking when he thought of playing c6 in response to e4.

Originally posted by paultopia
an interesting position. black's kingside looks vulnerable with the pawn storm already begun -- but white must first find somewhere decent to put his knights to continue said pawn storm, and that's slow enough that black's attack might hit first.

things should get explosive soon 🙂

12 0-0-0
Game 659068

I have a tendency to move quickly in an opening, thinking that developing my pieces is more important than developing them well. My knights look odd to me sitting in front of my pawns.

I see no weaknesses except for the h8-rook, which I cannot get to. b7 is undefended, but easy to protect.

I only see one move:
0-0-0: as per previous discussion

12 ...Be7
Game 659068

Bd6 looks more aggressive here for black, but I don't want another piece blocking the only half-open file I have and the bishop would be undefended on d6 unless I move the d7 Knight. I don't want to move the d7 Knight, yet... Bd6 followed up with Qc7 also puts pressure on White's kingside, but the white king has skipped town. Also Bd6 prevents white from playing Bf4. Maybe I should have played Bd6?

I think Be7 does a better job of defending my kingside if an attack comes that way. The bishop provides extra protection for my f6 knight and guards the dark squares close to my king. My position is still cramped, but my pieces and pawns are working well together and I think I can absorb any attack that comes on the kingside.

It'll be interesting to see what white does here. I obviously have to castle at some point. So does white move the knights and begin a kingside pawn storm? I've seen some players sacrifice the white d-pawn in similiar positions to this in order to open up the center and try to keep the black king stuck there. Or maybe white puts a rook on an open file and begins an attack that way? If I could trade queens, which I like to do in the Caro, I might be able to leave the king in the center a little longer. With the Queens off the board and with white not having a light squared bishop my king wouldn't be too exposed. Naaah...

Hi,
i saw this game being played and thought that I could learn and contribute opinions here, since I play caro-kann as black (evident from my user handle).

zucchini: when you played 12 0-0-0 and you remarked seeing only one move in the position, did you also consider playing 12 Qe2? its a very common played move to get the queen to hold on to the e5 square. of course, there's nothing wrong with 12 0-0-0

wib: you said that you were going to castle kingside. isn't that considered too dangerous since white's pawn is extended as far as h5? if i play the caro as black, i would adopt the position ...Bd6, ...Qc7, and castle queenside. black's king is very safe (safer on the queenside?) and the queen and bishop combination can be good for black. can you compare the two different plans (what you are currently playing and what i would play if i was playing as black)?

hope these opinions are welcome here. thanks.