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

Accelerated Panov Attack
a b c d e f g h
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black kingd7 black pawne7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6 black kingb6 black kingc6 black pawnd6 black kinge6 black kingf6 black kingg6 black kingh6 black king6
5a5 black kingb5 black kingc5 black kingd5 black kinge5 black kingf5 black kingg5 black kingh5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 black kingc4 white pawnd4 black kinge4 white pawnf4 black kingg4 black kingh4 black king4
3a3 black kingb3 black kingc3 black kingd3 black kinge3 black kingf3 black kingg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 black kingd2 white pawne2 black kingf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook1
a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN)
Moves: 1. e4 c6 2. c4

Accelerated Panov Attack

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2. c4

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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

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For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation.

1.e4 c6 c4
2
Accelerated Panov Attack ...
d5
exd5
...
e5
Nf3
 
...

e6

d4

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  • 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.
  • Kasparov, Garry, & Keene, Raymond 1989 Batsford chess openings 2. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9.