Semi-Slav Defense
Encyclopedia
The Semi-Slav Defense is a variation of the Queen's Gambit
chess opening
, defined by the position reached after the moves:
The position may readily be reached by a number of different move orders. With Black advancing pawns to both e6 and c6, the opening resembles a mixture of the Orthodox Queen's Gambit Declined
and the Slav Defense
.
With 4...c6, Black threatens to capture the white pawn
on c4, and hold it with ...b7–b5. White can avoid this with 5.e3, though at the cost of restricting the dark-squared bishop
from its natural development to g5. Alternatively, White often gambit
s a pawn with 5.Bg5, the Anti-Meran Gambit, which Black may accept with 5...dxc4 6.e4 b5, leading to sharp play, or decline with 5...h6, the Moscow Variation. If Black plays the latter variation, White can play 6.Bxf6 Qxf6, ceding the bishop pair in exchange for a lead in development and a freer game, or again offer a gambit with 6.Bh4!?
For the Semi-Slav the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
designates codes D43 through D49.
. Gruenfeld adopted the same variation two rounds later against Spielmann
, winning as well. Viswanathan Anand
won two games with Black in his World Chess Championship 2008
match with Vladimir Kramnik
. Black surrenders his outpost
on d5, gaining a tempo
for queenside space expansion by ...b7–b5. White will play in the center, leading to a rich, complicated game. These opposing strategies, with the ensuing keen play, have long made the Meran a favorite for enterprising players of either color. An example is Gligoric v Ljubojevic, Belgrade, 1979.
's advocacy.
Another increasingly common gambit line used in the Anti-Meran system variation is the sharp 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4. Popularized by Alexander Shabalov
and Alexey Shirov, the gambit destabilizes the center for Black and has been successful for several grandmasters, including Kasparov
. It has also been successful against computers, in games such as Kasparov vs. Deep Junior, Game 1.
the black knight
. It is now possible for Black to transpose to either the Cambridge Springs Defense with 5...Nbd7 6.e3 Qa5, or enter the Orthodox Defense with 6...Be7.
his king's bishop and castle
kingside, while Black will play ...c5, ...Qb6, castle queenside, and can carry out an attack in the center or on either flank, leading to complex play. The opening was introduced by Mikhail Botvinnik
in the 1945 USSR vs USA radio match vs Arnold Denker
. Today, Alex Yermolinsky
has an excellent record with the White pieces and Alexei Shirov
has been Black's chief proponent in this variation.
. This dynamic mode of play, which is characteristic of the modern game, has seen this line being played by many strong grandmasters, though the theoretical verdict is unclear.
, and 6...Bd6, which was much the most popular line before the debut of the Meran, and espoused by the American grandmaster Arthur Bisguier
throughout his career.
After 6...Bd6, 7.0-0 0-0 8.e4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Bxe4 is the most common line. There are now several alternatives for Black, with one a clear error, as it loses a pawn: 10...e5 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.Bxh7+ Kxh7 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.Qxe5. This line, however, has a strong drawish tendency in practice, due to the opposite-colored bishops, though all the heavy pieces remain on the board.
Black's other choices include 10...c5, though theory regards this as premature as it enables White to play for a kingside attack with 11.Bc2, followed by Qd3 and Bg5. 10...Nf6 has also been played, but this misplaces the knight and does nothing to further Black's play against the centre by means of the pawn breaks ...c5 or ...e5. Bisguier preferred 10...h6 and it has come to be considered the strongest plan.
The other ideas, 6...Be7, which has the same drawback as after 5.e3 Be7, and 6...Bb4, have become sidelines in modern play.
Queen's Gambit
The Queen's Gambit is a chess opening that starts with the moves:The Queen's Gambit is one of the oldest known chess openings. It was mentioned in the Göttingen manuscript of 1490 and was later analysed by masters such as Gioachino Greco in the seventeenth century...
chess opening
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
, defined by the position reached after the moves:
- 1. d4 d5
- 2. c4 e6
- 3. Nc3 Nf6
- 4. Nf3 c6
The position may readily be reached by a number of different move orders. With Black advancing pawns to both e6 and c6, the opening resembles a mixture of the Orthodox Queen's Gambit Declined
Queen's Gambit Declined
The Queen's Gambit Declined is a chess opening in which Black declines a pawn offered by White in the Queen's Gambit:This is known as the Orthodox Line of the Queen's Gambit Declined...
and the Slav Defense
Slav Defense
The Slav Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The Slav is one of the primary defenses to the Queen's Gambit. Although it was analyzed as early as 1590, it was not until the 1920s that it started to be explored extensively...
.
With 4...c6, Black threatens to capture the white pawn
Pawn (chess)
The pawn is the most numerous and weakest piece in the game of chess, historically representing infantry, or more particularly armed peasants or pikemen. Each player begins the game with eight pawns, one on each square of the rank immediately in front of the other pieces...
on c4, and hold it with ...b7–b5. White can avoid this with 5.e3, though at the cost of restricting the dark-squared bishop
Bishop (chess)
A bishop is a piece in the board game of chess. Each player begins the game with two bishops. One starts between the king's knight and the king, the other between the queen's knight and the queen...
from its natural development to g5. Alternatively, White often gambit
Gambit
A gambit is a chess opening in which a player, most often White, sacrifices material, usually a pawn, with the hope of achieving a resulting advantageous position. Some well-known examples are the King's Gambit , Queen's Gambit , and Evans Gambit...
s a pawn with 5.Bg5, the Anti-Meran Gambit, which Black may accept with 5...dxc4 6.e4 b5, leading to sharp play, or decline with 5...h6, the Moscow Variation. If Black plays the latter variation, White can play 6.Bxf6 Qxf6, ceding the bishop pair in exchange for a lead in development and a freer game, or again offer a gambit with 6.Bh4!?
For the Semi-Slav the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings is a classification system for the opening moves in a game of chess. It is presented as a five volume book collection describing chess openings...
designates codes D43 through D49.
Main variations
About 80% of games continue 5.Bg5 or 5.e3. Other possible moves are 5.cxd5 and 5.g3.5.e3
The main line continues with 5.e3, when Black usually develops with 5... Nbd7; though a bishop move 5...Bd6 or 5...Be7 is seldom seen, as masters realized early on that at e7, the bishop was passively placed and does nothing to further one of Black's aims, the freeing move ...e5. The unusual move 5...a6 appears solid for Black.Meran Variation
The main variation of the Semi-Slav is the Meran Variation, 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5, (ECO codes D46 to D49), when play usually continues with 8.Bd3, with 8.Be2 and 8.Bb3 less common alternatives. The line was first played in 1906 in the game Schlechter–Perlis. The variation takes its name from the town of Meran (Merano) in northern Italy. During a 1924 tournament in Meran, it was used successfully in the game Gruenfeld–RubinsteinAkiba Rubinstein
Akiba Kiwelowicz Rubinstein was a famous Polish chess Grandmaster at the beginning of the 20th century. He was scheduled to play a match with Emanuel Lasker for the world championship in 1914, but it was cancelled because of the outbreak of World War I...
. Gruenfeld adopted the same variation two rounds later against Spielmann
Rudolf Spielmann
Rudolf Spielmann was an Austrian-Jewish chess player of the romantic school, and chess writer.-Career:He was a lawyer but never worked as one....
, winning as well. Viswanathan Anand
Viswanathan Anand
V. Anand or Anand Viswanathan, usually referred as Viswanathan Anand, is an Indian chess Grandmaster, the current World Chess Champion, and currently second highest rated player in the world....
won two games with Black in his World Chess Championship 2008
World Chess Championship 2008
The World Chess Championship 2008 was a best-of-twelve-games match between the World Chess Champion, Viswanathan Anand, and the previous World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik...
match with Vladimir Kramnik
Vladimir Kramnik
Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007...
. Black surrenders his outpost
Outpost (chess)
An outpost is a square which is protected by a pawn and which cannot be attacked by an opponent's pawn. In the figure to the right, c4 is an outpost, occupied by White's knight...
on d5, gaining a tempo
Tempo (chess)
In chess, tempo refers to a "turn" or single move. When a player achieves a desired result in one fewer move, he "gains a tempo" and conversely when he takes one more move than necessary he "loses a tempo"...
for queenside space expansion by ...b7–b5. White will play in the center, leading to a rich, complicated game. These opposing strategies, with the ensuing keen play, have long made the Meran a favorite for enterprising players of either color. An example is Gligoric v Ljubojevic, Belgrade, 1979.
Anti-Meran Variation
If White wants to avoid the Meran Variation without entering the complexities of the Anti-Meran, 5.cxd5 or 5.Qb3 are possibilities, though after 5...exd5, the former leads to a line of the QGD Exchange where White's Nf3 enables the Black QB to freely develop, which should give equality (ECO code D43 and D45). After 5.e3 Nbd7, the main alternative to 6.Bd3 has become 6.Qc2, waiting for Black to commit to ...dxc4 before playing Bd3. Once a sideline, this move exploded in popularity in the 1990s, in large part due to Anatoly KarpovAnatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
's advocacy.
Shirov–Shabalov Gambit in Anti-Meran
Another increasingly common gambit line used in the Anti-Meran system variation is the sharp 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4. Popularized by Alexander Shabalov
Alexander Shabalov
Alexander Shabalov is an American chess grandmaster, the multiple winner of the U.S. Chess Championships; he was the 2007 US Champion. He was born in Latvia, and like his fellow Latvians Alexei Shirov and Mikhail Tal he is known for courting complications even at the cost of objective soundness...
and Alexey Shirov, the gambit destabilizes the center for Black and has been successful for several grandmasters, including Kasparov
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
. It has also been successful against computers, in games such as Kasparov vs. Deep Junior, Game 1.
5.Bg5
The Anti-Meran Gambit (ECO code D44) arises after 5.Bg5. Possible replies include ...h6, ...Nbd7, ...dxc4, and ...Be7. White refuses to shut in the dark-squared bishop, instead developing it to an active square where it pinsPin (chess)
In chess, a pin is a situation brought on by an attacking piece in which a defending piece cannot move without exposing a more valuable defending piece on its other side to capture by the attacking piece...
the black knight
Knight (chess)
The knight is a piece in the game of chess, representing a knight . It is normally represented by a horse's head and neck. Each player starts with two knights, which begin on the row closest to the player, one square from the corner...
. It is now possible for Black to transpose to either the Cambridge Springs Defense with 5...Nbd7 6.e3 Qa5, or enter the Orthodox Defense with 6...Be7.
Botvinnik Variation
This line is extremely complicated, with theory stretching past move thirty in some variations. Black captures a pawn by 5...dxc4. White takes control of the center with 6.e4 as Black defends with 6...b5. The main line of the Botvinnik now continues 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7. White will regain his piece with interest, emerging with an extra pawn, but Black will soon complete his development, gaining great dynamic compensation, whereas White's task is rather more difficult. White will fianchettoFianchetto
In chess the fianchetto is a pattern of development wherein a bishop is developed to the second rank of the adjacent knight file, the knight pawn having been moved one or two squares forward....
his king's bishop and castle
Castling
Castling is a special move in the game of chess involving the king and either of the original rooks of the same color. It is the only move in chess in which a player moves two pieces at the same time. Castling consists of moving the king two squares towards a rook on the player's first rank, then...
kingside, while Black will play ...c5, ...Qb6, castle queenside, and can carry out an attack in the center or on either flank, leading to complex play. The opening was introduced by Mikhail Botvinnik
Mikhail Botvinnik
Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, Ph.D. was a Soviet and Russian International Grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion. Working as an electrical engineer and computer scientist at the same time, he was one of the very few famous chess players who achieved distinction in another career while...
in the 1945 USSR vs USA radio match vs Arnold Denker
Arnold Denker
Arnold Sheldon Denker was an American chess player, Grandmaster, and chess author. He was U.S. Chess Champion in 1945 and 1946....
. Today, Alex Yermolinsky
Alex Yermolinsky
Alex Yermolinsky is an American chess Grandmaster. In 1993, Yermolinsky won the U.S. Chess Championship, tying for first place with Alexander Shabalov...
has an excellent record with the White pieces and Alexei Shirov
Alexei Shirov
Alexei Dmitrievich Shirov is a Soviet-born Latvian chess grandmaster. He has consistently ranked among the world's top players since the early 1990s, and reached a ranking as high as number four in 1998...
has been Black's chief proponent in this variation.
Moscow Variation
The Moscow Variation 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 gives rise to play of a different character from the lines after 5...dxc4. Black has the bishop pair, which gives him good long-term chances, but must avoid prematurely opening the position in the face of White's superior development and central control, as his position is initially solid but passive. Alexei Dreev has played this line successfully as Black. The gambit line 6.Bh4 (the Anti-Moscow Variation) was once considered dubious, but has seen a recent resurgence. In return for the pawn, White receives a lead in development and a strong initiativeInitiative (chess)
Initiative in a chess position belongs to the player who can make threats that cannot be ignored. He thus puts his opponent in the position of having to use his turns responding to threats rather than making his own. A player with the initiative will often seek to maneuver his pieces into more and...
. This dynamic mode of play, which is characteristic of the modern game, has seen this line being played by many strong grandmasters, though the theoretical verdict is unclear.
Alternatives after 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3
Though appearing in contemporary master play with less frequency than the Meran, there are other possibilities: 6...Be7, 6...Bb4, introduced by the Italian master Max RomihMax Romih
Massimiliano Romi né Max Romih was an Italian chess master.Max Romih was of Slavonic origin , and a citizen of Austria-Hungary Empire, but after World War I the region of Julian March became part of Italy...
, and 6...Bd6, which was much the most popular line before the debut of the Meran, and espoused by the American grandmaster Arthur Bisguier
Arthur Bisguier
Arthur Bernard Bisguier is an American chess Grandmaster, chess promoter, and writer. Bisguier won two U.S. Junior Championships , three U.S. Open Chess Championship titles , and the 1954 United States Chess Championship title. He played for the United States in five chess Olympiads...
throughout his career.
After 6...Bd6, 7.0-0 0-0 8.e4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Bxe4 is the most common line. There are now several alternatives for Black, with one a clear error, as it loses a pawn: 10...e5 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.Bxh7+ Kxh7 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.Qxe5. This line, however, has a strong drawish tendency in practice, due to the opposite-colored bishops, though all the heavy pieces remain on the board.
Black's other choices include 10...c5, though theory regards this as premature as it enables White to play for a kingside attack with 11.Bc2, followed by Qd3 and Bg5. 10...Nf6 has also been played, but this misplaces the knight and does nothing to further Black's play against the centre by means of the pawn breaks ...c5 or ...e5. Bisguier preferred 10...h6 and it has come to be considered the strongest plan.
The other ideas, 6...Be7, which has the same drawback as after 5.e3 Be7, and 6...Bb4, have become sidelines in modern play.