A recurring theme in the Caro-Kann Short Variation

This is the game Ponkratov – Iordachescu, Khanty-Mansiysk 2011

When one recognizes a positional idea, it’s important to remain alert for tactical flaws. It’s tempting to play Rxf5 here with the idea of following up with Qxd5. It seems that white will get one pawn, two bishops, and a lovely central pawn chain for the exchange. However

This would be a rude awakening for white, who has tactical problems on the d-file and the a7-g1 diagonal. Play could continue

Instead, white opted for the useful move 19. Kh1, and ended up playing Rxf5 in a few moves anyway:

However, this is a much better version for black, who returned the exchange with Qxc3 and stood better (though he eventually lost).

One fascinating thing to note is that 19. Rxf5!? does not seem to be a bad move if white forgoes capturing the pawn on d5, and simply continues playing! For example:

Here, Stockfish considers that white has adequate compensation for the exchange.