Chess lessons › Chess openings
The Advance Caro-Kann
White pushes 3.e5; Black brings the bishop out before ...e6 and attacks the chain with ...c5.
The idea
White gains space with e5; Black frees the bishop, then plays ...c5.
- The bishop came out to f5 before ...e6 shut it in.
- White’s pawn on e5 takes f6 away from Black’s knight.
- Now ...c5 attacks d4, the base of White’s chain.
In a game: Against an early e5, bring your bishop to f5 before you play ...e6.
How the lesson begins
In the Advance Variation, 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5, White gains space and takes f6 from Black’s knight. Unlike in the French, Black can answer 3...Bf5: the bishop comes out before ...e6 shuts it in.
Among players rated 1200 to 1599 on Lichess, Black chose 3...Bf5 in 57% of the games after 3.e5.
- 3... Bf5
Find the move
Black to move. White develops quietly with 4.Nf3 and 5.Be2, the Short Variation. Your bishop is out and ...e6 is played. Now attack the base of White’s chain.
A hint
The base of the chain is d4.
Show the answer
5... c5
5...c5 is the engine’s top choice. In the Caro-Kann the c-pawn takes two moves to reach c5, but in return the bishop on f5 stands outside the pawn chain.
In numbers
How often it is played
| Rating | Value |
|---|---|
| Under 800 | Too few games |
| 800 to 1199 | 7.7 |
| 1200 to 1599 | 11 |
| 1600 to 1999 | 11 |
| 2000 and up | 12 |
How the games ended
White won 48%, 4% were drawn and Black won 48%, over 19,248 games that start this way, in a sample of rated Lichess games from 2026.