Caro-Kann Defense, Accelerated Panov Attack

The Accelerated Panov begins with 2.c4, moving White's c-pawn from c2 to c4 on the second move. White immediately contests d5 and makes the central advance prepared by 1...c6 less comfortable. Unlike many Caro-Kann lines, White does not play d4 first.

The game can transpose into a regular Panov Attack. To transpose means to reach the same position through a different move order. After exchanges on d5, White often receives an isolated queen's pawn, a pawn on the d-file with no friendly pawns on the neighboring c- or e-files. It can control useful squares and open lines for the pieces, but it can also become a target because no neighboring pawn can defend it.

White seeks rapid piece development and activity on open files, vertical lines with no pawns remaining. Black tries to blockade the isolated pawn by placing a piece directly in front of it, exchange pieces, and attack it over time. The structures can resemble those of the Queen's Gambit, another opening that can produce an isolated pawn on d4, even though the move order is different. Accelerated describes the early c4 move, not the speed of the game.