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Below is example of a Caro-Kann endgame - Evelev - Epstein - with White having a pawn on h5, and both sides with majority on each side of the board. While the game below ended as a draw, I wonder if White could have tried something more aggressive in that structure.

  [FEN "?"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5
Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Qc7 11. Bd2 Ngf6 12. Ne4 e6 13. O-O-O O-O-O 14. g3
Nxe4 15. Qxe4 Nf6 16. Qe2 Bd6 17. c4 c5 18. Bc3 cxd4 19. Nxd4 a6 20. Kb1 Qb6
21. f4 Bb4 22. Bxb4 Qxb4 23. Nf3 Rxd1+ 24. Rxd1 Rd8 25. Ne5 Rxd1+ 26. Qxd1 Qe7
27. Kc2 Nd7 28. Nxd7 Qxd7 29. Qxd7+ Kxd7 30. Kd3 Kd6 31. Kd4 b6 32. b4 Kc6 33.
Ke4 f6 34. Kd4 Kd6 35. Kd3 Kc6 36. Ke4 Kd6 37. Ke3 Kc6 38. Kd4 Kd6 39. Ke4 Kc6
40. Kd4 Kd6 41. Ke4 Kc6 42. Kd4 1/2-1/2
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  • Caro-Kann has many "typical" pawn endgames and pawn structures -> Advanced variation pawn structure, Queenside vs Kingside pawn majority and some others... Are you interested in all of them, or just in the ones similar to the game you posted?
    – AlwaysLearningNewStuff
    Nov 2, 2014 at 15:01
  • 1
    Thanks to MikhailTal for fixing the pgn issue; Classical Caro-Kann I believe is a term used for 3.Nc3 lines, and let's just say that for the purpose of this question I am interested only in the pawn structure from the game above (i.e. structures occurring after Black played c6-c5, and d4 and c5 pawns were exchanged one way or another)
    – Joe
    Nov 2, 2014 at 17:58
  • Try 22 c5 to avoid the completely drawish end-game. When white plays 23 Nb3 he threatens Ba5 and things become interesting.
    – dcaswell
    Dec 17, 2014 at 4:01

1 Answer 1

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First of all: position above is a DEAD draw. Only a heavy blunder can change this. No other chances, no more tricks.

To the question: Those 3. Nc3/Nd2 Caro-Kann variations might lead to a drawish endgames. But it's always a tiny tiny plus for white due to those advanced king-side pawns (some possibilities to sac a piece there or something). If you want to get as much as possible out of the Caro-Kann you should get familiar with advanced variation (3. e5). If you don't want to invest time, I can give you a small advice: In those variations there usually is knight + dark squared bishop vs knight + dark squared bishop (+ queens, rooks ofc). As white, your goal is to exchange your knight for a bishop or exchange your bishop for a knight. Positions after such a trade are often favourable for white. This is a tiny advice but you can try it.

By the way, here is a position that I played a long time ago. Not quite sure about the exact placement of a-b-c pawns, but never mind. It was a dead draw of course:

[FEN "8/1p1k1pp1/p3p2p/P1p1P2P/2P2PP1/3K4/1P6/8 w - - 0 2"]

Until my opponent decided to play 1. ... - g6 in order to exchange or create a passed pawn on the h-file if I'd make a mistake. Of course the opponent was low rated, but it shows that black is able to blunder.

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    Thanks for answer, in my analysis of the Evelev game above, if Black does not play b7-b6, he may get into trouble as White advances pawns on the queenside and penetrates to b6 with king as a result of Zugzwang; So I am a bit cautious of calling it dead draw.
    – Joe
    Nov 3, 2014 at 16:31

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