Crush: The Caro Kann with the Exchange Variation

The Caro-Kann Defense is an extremely solid opening choice for black against 1. e4. While the Advanced Variation involving 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 is certainly the most topical variation for white in the 21st century, it is definitely the most thoroughly studied and well-known line by Caro-Kann players. However, the Exchange Variation with 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 is not nearly as popular because many players (incorrectly!) think that this line is very drawish and promises white little chances to fight for an advantage from the opening. Viewers of the 2.5+ hour chess DVD ¨Crush the Caro-Kann with the Exchange Variation¨ will find out that this is simply not the case! The Exchange Variation is a very subtle line for white to fight for a long-term positional advantage based on a rapid development of his two bishops that will make it very difficult for black to in turn develop his bishops to active diagonals. White has many different methods to play for an advantage in the Exchange Variation and presenter Grandmaster Eugene Perelshteyn does an excellent job of explaining white’s most accurate lines of play.

GM Perelshteyn has employed the Exchange Variation of the Caro-Kann Defense for many years with great success at the Grandmaster level, and he is very generous to share his secrets and profound insight with the viewers of this chess DVD. GM Perelshteyn breaks down one of his key victories in the Exchange Variation of the Caro-Kann Defense, really demonstrating the type of subtle maneuvers that lead to an eventual avalanche of attack for white if black is unable to defend white’s positional play with 100% precision!