Caro kann for aggressive players?

Well, it has a very solid reputation in some older lines such as 1.e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5, but some newer more aggressive lines, its actually starting to gain a reputation as a dangerous weapon. Check out this book if your looking for little known decent attacking lines for both colors.

http://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Weapons-Caro-Kann-Opponents-Everyman/dp/1857446356/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1294550765&sr=8-3

It is certainly not passive, but its not the Sicilian either.  Solid structure, development, good chances for an endgame.  If you want to go shrieking across the board with your hair on fire play the you need to look elsewhere.  If you have the patience to build your position and attack when the time and position warrant, play the CK.

Thanks for the ideas, i agree. And that's probably why I like it, I like the slower build-up with more middle game aggression.

I think a lot of its reputation as being a solid but passive drawing weapon is more how it is viewed at the GM level - or was for many years - and those views just got passed down to and repeated by amateurs. But amatuers don't have the grasp of dynamics  GMs do, and can't really put a lid on the opponent's counterplay the way GMs can.

Given that, and with the Caro's free development and solid setup, I find that it usually gives me a weakness-free position and plenty of chances for agressive counterplay too.

Karpov and Kaspy used the caro alot too

I've always considered it kinda passive. Comparing the Caro-Kann with the Sicilian is completely wrong. The Sicilian is in fact very agressive, even though it's more a counter-attack deadly weapon. On the other hand I think it's a lot harder to find counter-play with the Caro-Kann, but well if you like the set-up then it's OK.

Then fact that GMs might play a certain opening or not doesn't tell me much, since I think a GM can beat you easilly playing 1.h3 if he wants to. Just a matter of skills.

Take care.

I'm a very tactical player but my main opening against e4 is c6. You are right about how it's very solid which is why I gravitate to it. Also white dominates space-wise and dictates the play of the game for so long, that after you survive the attack and start to get some piece play, your opponent can very easily underestimate you and end up going down fast. Even if they don't, the endgame tends to be very solid for black. I would advise the panov-botvinnik to white, that's the only variation where I've actually been smacked down in recent play, and I'm a class A player. Things get very tactical if you know how to play it.

People seem to go shopping for openings for all the wrong reasons. Most players start out playing 1...e5 when they learn chess. Then after getting pushed around, they start looking for semi-open games, usually starting with the Sicilian. If that proves too dynamic to handle well, they start looking for "solid" or "safe" lines like the French, Caro or Pirc. After being smothered in those, it's just one more step to the weird with the Scandinavian, Owens or Nimzovitch. After that, they just sit in a bar playing video poker.

If you feel comfortable in the middlegames you get out of that opening, then it's right for you. If you pick an opening because of its reputation or some latest book by a GM, there's a stool and a video poker game for you somewhere, no doubt. 

I think the OP doesn't really have an answerable question.

Any sound opening with a sound positional basis can be played in a multitude of sound ways.  If you enjoy playing the Caro-Kann, then continue to play it.  My advice is to try to avoid thinking of yourself as "an attacking player" or "a positional player" or "a tactical player".   Either way, you need to play good moves according to the particular position on the board.   If there is a tactic on the board that gives you an advantage, then it should be played regardless whether you think you are a "tactical player" or whatnot.  Just my 2 cents.

no

Tal said he plays the sicilian for a draw, and the caro-kann for the win

Yeah I just learned my multiplication tables in 2011. Lol

Ikr my life seemed so perfect then

13 years later, and this has enlightened me

I'm happy to give Alex Banzea a plug here because I've learnt a lot from his channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@AlexBanzea

I've been looking at the Caro-Kann lately from the black POV for the first time. When I played 1e4 as white, the relative rarity compared to its strength, often caused me to be ill-prepared.

I'm surprised how much play black can get – or maybe I shouldn't be. The positions seems to mostly unbalanced, with the prospect of playing for a win. By the same token, I used to play the Sicilian, but found the c3 variants a little soporific. Although c3 on move 2 or move 3 is not that common, I like to try and control my own destiny.

A database give the "Big Four" responses to 1e4: c5, 46%; e5, 23%, e6, 12%; and c6, 8%. So unless the opponent knows he is playing a Caro player, the 1e4 player will encounter a probability of 0.08 of facing 1…c6 while the Caro player can expect to face 1e4 45% for a probability of 0.45

Here is another good one: