A. Khalifman, S. Soloviov - The Modern Scotch (K-5684)

The Caro-Kann Defence arises after the moves 1 e4 c6. With this first move Black (as is also the case with the French Defence - 1 e4 e6) plans 2 ... d5, establishing a well-protected central pawn. The Caro-Kann has a reputation as a rock solid defence that minimises the risk of Black being subjected to undue early pressure. Rather than inviting the opponent to engage in immediate warfare, Black focuses on completing development comfortably and postponng the serious battle until the middlegame. It is notable that the White systems which try to batter the Caro-Kann into early submission are highly double-edged and often rebound badly.

Korchnoi and his Chess Grandchildren features 25 of Viktor Korchnoi’s best games from the latter stages of his glorious career. The latest game is from 2011, when Korchnoi was still potent enough to defeat Fabiano Caruana.