Winning with the fantasy variation

The Fantasy Variation (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.f3) is a clever attempt by White to steer the game into murky waters from the start, luring Black away from the solid positions he is used to in the main Caro-Kann lines. Traditionally, the opening never gained much credibility among top players, as White's concept of maintaining his pawn centre at the cost of weakening the kingside was rarely seen as a serious threat to the super-reliable Caro-Kann. But thanks to a wave of fresh ideas and innovations, first introduced at the European Singles Championship and subsequently spawned by many more, the variation has made a major comeback and is now in the repertoire of some of the world's best players. In this 60-minute video, IM Lawrence Trent presents the 5 main lines available to Black, but in each of them White has a number of options to keep the position full of play and momentum, leading to games that loyal Caro-Kann fans will have a hard time with.