Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...c6/2. c4

= Accelerated Panov Attack =

2. c4
Instead of playing d4, white can respond with the Accelerated Panov Attack, an aggressive counter against the Caro-Kann. The Accelerated Panov Attack (1. e4 1...c6 2. c4), named after the soviet grandmaster Vasily Panov is the second most common move against the Caro-Kann, and is an aggressive response against the Caro-Kann. This is because if black were to play 2...d5, white can follow up with exd5 (white can also choose to play 3. cxd5) taking the pawn, black 3...cxd5 taking the pawn, white 4. cxd5 taking the pawn and black 4...Qxd5 taking with the queen. However, this is a trade of pawns as white and black has won the same material. White aims weaken the D-file and to take the d5 pawn, and to also wreck havoc by aiming to take the c-pawn. The idea of the Accelerated Panov Attack is to counter the Caro-Kann and to weaken the D-file and C-file and to take the d5 pawn, and to open up the D-file, which weakens black’s pawn structure. The Accelerated Panov Attack controls the d5 square, and allows the knight to develop behind the c-pawn.

Black has some options that they can play.


 * 2...d5: The most common move, black accepts the trade and plays pawn to d5. This move will accept the trade and allow white to trade pawns.
 * 2...e5: Instead of playing d5, black can decline the trade and instead play pawn to e5.
 * 2...e6: This move prepares for d5, so instead of capturing with the queen black could capture with the pawn.

Theory table

 * 1.e4 c6 c4


 * Nunn's Chess Openings. 1999. John Nunn (Editor), Graham Burgess, John Emms, Joe Gallagher. ISBN 1-8574-4221-0.
 * Modern Chess Openings: MCO-14. 1999. Nick de Firmian, Walter Korn. ISBN 0-8129-3084-3.