What is favorite piece on chessboard ?
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I often see the advance variation against the Caro-Kan described as the most challenging for Black to face. However, the advance variation against the French defense is not generally viewed as one of White's best choices. Given Black can get their bad French Bishop outside the pawn chain in the Caro-Kan, I presume it has something to do with the pawn structure that makes the Advance Caro better than the Advance French? Is it just that in the French Black can play c5 in one move to attack White's central pawn chain while in the Caro Black has to move their c-pawn twice? Or am I way off the mark here?
A very interesting question! I may make a video about this in the future. But briefly: in the Advanced Caro with ...Bf5, Black solves the bad bishop problem but suffers with time and development of the kingside. Moreover, the bishop on f5 itself can become a vulnerability, with early h4 + g4 ideas. These are the major drawbacks. Black is also lacking space obviously, and a traffic jam may emerge in Black's camp. But if these issues can be solved and Black can develop naturally, then the future is bright as we will be playing a French structure without the terrible French bishop! Hence the trade-off!
So in the French Advanced, we have a bad bishop on c8. But it is also a safe piece! In chess, a piece can be active/passive or safe/vulnerable. Caro bishop is arguably active and vulnerable, while the French bishop is passive and safe. Chess is full of trade-offs!
Thank you! I like the concept of safe/vulnerable as another dimension to go along with active/passive (here in a see-saw sort of way). With White I've always quite liked the Advance French, and have done ok with it, but I struggle when I play the Advance Caro-Kan (hence my question). Of course, a big part of my own personal imbalance is that I've focused my study on the Advance French as I face it more often, but the Caro-Kan is on my "to do" list. And lucky me, you've given me a new concept to consider when looking at both, and which I can apply to other situations as well. Thanks again!