To avoid this drawback Rubinstein has evolved the following variation, in which provision is made from the first for the freedom of action of the Queen’s Bishop: 

3.  Kt-QB3          Kt-KB3
4.  B-Kt5           PxP

to open the diagonal for the Bishop at QKt2, e.g.: 

5.  KtxP            QKt-Q2
6.  Kt-KB3          B-K2

followed by P-QKt3 and B-Kt2.

We will now leave the French defence and turn our attention to the Caro-Kann, of which the initial position was shown in Diagram 28.  Here also we find two essentially different systems of development, according to whether White plays P-K5 or gives Black the option of exchanging pawns by 3.  Kt-QB3.  In the first case a very noticeable difference from the French defence is, that Black can bring out his Queen’s Bishop.  Here the process of development may be: 

3.  P-K5          B-B4
4.  B-Q3          BxB

Not B-Kt3, because White could play P-K6! and paralyse the whole of Black’s game by preventing his playing the King’s Pawn.

          5.  QxB P-K3
          6.  Kt-K2 or KR3

Through this the move P-KB4, which fits into this pawn formation, is kept in reserve.

While White’s development is easy and natural, Black has difficulty in finding good places for his King’s side pieces.  The game can proceed generally speaking on the lines of the French defence.  Only Black can hardly attack White’s centre with P-B3, since the Pawn at K3 would be weak in the absence of the Queen’s Bishop.  On the other hand, Black would be a move behind with an attack on the Queen’s side, since to reach QB4 his pawn would have made two moves instead of one as in the French defence.  A certain compensation lies in the fact that White’s attacking King’s Bishop has been exchanged.

In practical play it has nevertheless been shown that White’s attack is more likely to succeed, and for this reason a variation introduced by Niemzowitsch has been tried several times; it aims at the exchange of Queens in order to weaken and retard White’s threatened attack, and to gain time for Queen’s side operations.

6. ...                Q-Kt3
7.  Castles           Q-R3 or Kt4

But after 8.  Kt-B4, QxQ; 9.  KtxQ, White is so much ahead with his development that Black’s chance of equalising the game would seem questionable.

If White plays Kt-KR3 on his sixth move, he foils at once Black’s attempt of forcing an exchange of Queens, as he could play 8.  Q-KKt3.

On the whole we can conclude that in the Caro-Kann defence White obtains a good game by 3.  P-K5.

A line of play which used to be in vogue, namely, 3.  Kt-QB3, PxP; 4.  KtxP, Kt-B3; 5.  KtxKtch, KPxKt or KtPxKt, gives Black an even chance, for although he loses his centre pawn he obtains a good development, and later in the game he has opportunities of exercising pressure on White’s QP through his open Q file.