What is the Slav Defense in chess?

The Slav Defense is a chess opening which many players choose to employ as their main weapon against the Queen’s Gambit. The idea behind the Slav Defense is that Black tries to develop his pieces together while supporting the center by playing c7-c6.

Why is it called the Slav Defense?

d4 d5 2. c4 c6 (see the position on the right). The opening got its name in honor of several strong players from Slavic countries, including well-known names like Semyon Alapin, Alexander Alekhine and Efim Bogoljubov, who contributed many ideas to the opening’s development.

What is d4 opening called?

The Queen’s Pawn Opening, beginning with 1. d4, is one of white’s most popular and sound options to begin a chess game. White immediately takes control of the center and opens lines of development for his pieces. It’s clear that the Queen’s Pawn Opening adheres to the Chess Opening Principles.

What are closed openings in chess?

A Closed Game (or Double Queen’s Pawn Opening) is a chess opening that begins with the moves: 1. d4 d5. The move 1.

What’s the difference between 1.Nf3 d5 and 2.c4?

Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4, where black has to choose between QGA, QGD and the slav. If he plays the slav, he is probably equal if you choose g3, but there are different ways to pressure the slav. In the QGD, 4. g3 is fine.

What are the transpositional systems after 1.Nf3 d5?

Thus 1 Nf3 d5 2 d4 Nf6 3 g3 e6 4 c4 After 1 Nf3 d5 there are many transpositional systems after 2 d4 that do not involve g2-g3, but assuming you really want to fianchetto the KB and don’t want lines with d2-d3, then the Catalan structures are the major tabiya.

What happens if Black plays the Slav move order?

If Black has played the Slav move order (2…c6), then after the recapture cxd5 (“exchange Slav”) the pawn structure is symmetrical. Should Black have played 2…e6 instead, the recapture exd5 leads to an imbalanced pawn structure called the Carlsbad structure, which might offer White some opportunities for a minority attack on the queenside.

What to do after 1.Nf3 d5?

After 1 Nf3 d5 there are many transpositional systems after 2 d4 that do not involve g2-g3, but assuming you really want to fianchetto the KB and don’t want lines with d2-d3, then the Catalan structures are the major tabiya. You will want to organize your study on whether black opts for ..c7-c5 or c7-c6 at some point.

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