Slav Defense
Encyclopedia
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. Many masters of Slavic
descent helped develop the theory of this opening, including Alapin
, Alekhine
, Bogoljubov, and Vidmar
.
The Slav received an exhaustive test during the two Alekhine–Euwe World Championship
matches in 1935 and 1937. Played by 11 of the first 13 world champions, this defense was particularly favored by Euwe
, Botvinnik
, and Smyslov
. More recently the Slav has been adopted by Anand, Ivanchuk, Lautier
, Short
, and other top grandmasters
, including use in six of the eight games that Vladimir Kramnik
played as Black in the 2006 World Championship
(in the other two, he played the related Semi-Slav Defense
).
Today the theory of the Slav is very extensive and well developed.
(QGD):
The Slav addresses all of these problems. Black's queen bishop is unblocked; the pawn structure remains balanced; and the move Bg5 is not yet a threat as the unmoved black pawn on e7 prevents the pin. Also, if Black later takes the gambit pawn with ...dxc4, the support provided by the pawn on c6 allows ...b5 which may threaten to keep the pawn, or drive away a white piece that has captured it, gaining Black a tempo
for queenside expansion.
On the other hand, Black usually will not be able to develop the queen bishop without first giving up the center with ...dxc4, and developing this bishop may leave the black queenside weak. Additionally, the thematic break ...c5 incurs the loss of a tempo
.
The Slav can be entered by many move orders.
The possibilities include 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c6, 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.d4 Nf6, and so on.
From the standard Slav position (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6), the most important continuations are
The Slav Exchange Variation "is the system that takes the fun out of playing the Slav" for Black.
After 3.cxd5 cxd5, the symmetrical position offers White only the advantage of the extra move,
but the drawish position offers Black little chance to win unless White is overly ambitious.
To avoid this possibility Black often chooses the move order 2...e6 followed by 3...c6 to enter the Semi-Slav.
Black can also transpose into the Semi-Slav Defense by playing ...e6 on either the third or fourth move.
The Semi-Slav Defense, a kind of a combination Orthodox Defense and Slav Defense,
is a very complex opening in its own right.
See Semi-Slav Defense
for details.
After 3.Nc3, the pressure on Black's center prevents 3...Bf5?, since after 4.cxd5 cxd5 5.Qb3 White wins a pawn.
Another Black try that doesn't work is 3...Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 Bc8 and now f4 and Nf3 followed by Ne5 gives White a big advantage.
Black can try the Winawer Countergambit, 3.Nc3 e5, which was introduced in Marshall–Winawer
, Monte Carlo
1901,
but usually Black transposes into the Semi-Slav with either 3...e6 or 3...Nf6 4.Nf3 e6.
White's other knight move is more popular than Nc3.
White can avoid the complexities of the Slav Accepted by entering the Slav Declined with 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3.
A common continuation is 4...Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5. White will try to take advantage of the absence of Black's queen bishop on the queenside, but this isn't enough to gain an advantage if Black plays accurately. Another way to play is 4...Bg4. This also equalizes easily.
The main line continues 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3.
Black shouldn't play 4...Bf5 because White will gain the advantage with either 5.Qb3 or 5.cxd5 followed by 6.Qb3.
Traditionally Black had a choice between 4...e6 and 4...dxc4 before developing the queen bishop, but in the 1990s 4...a6 was introduced, with the idea of developing the queenside without locking in the queen bishop or conceding the center.
As before, 4...e6 transposes into the Semi-Slav.
The Slav Accepted continues with 4...dxc4.
White's sharpest try is the Slav Gambit, 5.e4 b5.
White will then usually continue with the Geller
-Tolush Gambit, 6.e5 Nd5 7.a4 e6, but it is unclear whether the attack is strong enough for the sacrificed pawn.
Evaluation of this line changes as improvements are found, but as of 2005 it is generally thought to favor Black.
White's other choices in the Slav Accepted are 5.e3 (Alekhine Variation) and 5.a4 (Alapin Variation).
Both moves are popular, with 5.e3 being more solid and 5.a4 being more aggressive.
With 5.a4 White acts against ...b5 and prepares 6.e4 and 7.Bxc4.
Black has several viable responses to White's pawn advance 5.a4:
The 5...a6 lines can be tricky. Black prepares to hold on to the gambit pawn with ...b5, and the game may transpose into the complex Meran Variation of the Semi-Slav.
With the Smyslov Variation, 5...Na6, Black allows the e-pawn to come to e4 but can gain counterplay by ...Bg4 and perhaps bringing the knight to b4 e.g. 6.e4 Bg4 7.Bxc4 e6 8.0-0 Nb4.
The Czech Variation can be considered the main line.
With 5...Bf5, Black prevents 6.e4.
If White plays 6.e3 (Dutch Variation), play can continue 6...e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4 8.0-0 0-0 with a fairly quiet game. Black can also play 6...Na6 with the idea of 7...Nb4, known as the Dutch, Lasker Variation.
A more energetic line begins 6.Ne5 (Krause Attack) where White intends f2-f3 and e2-e4 or Nxc4, perhaps followed by a fianchetto of the king bishop with g2-g3 and Bg2.
Black can try either 6...Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Qc7, which may leave White a bit better,
or 6...e6 7.f3 Bb4, when 8.e4 Bxe4 9.fxe4 Nxe4 is a complex piece sacrifice with the possible continuation 10.Bd2 Qxd4 11.Nxe4 Qxe4+ 12.Qe2 Bxd2+ 13.Kxd2 Qd5+ 14.Kc2 Na6.
In the Steiner Variation (also called the Bronstein
Variation), 5...Bg4, White may be discouraged from e4 by the possibility 6.e4 e5.
More often the game continues 6.Ne5 Bh5.
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...
that begins with the moves:
- 1. d4 d5
- 2. c4 c6
The Slav is one of the primary defenses to the Queen's Gambit
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...
. Although it was analyzed as early as 1590, it was not until the 1920s that it started to be explored extensively. Many masters of Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
descent helped develop the theory of this opening, including Alapin
Semyon Alapin
Semyon Zinovyevich Alapin was a Russian and Lithuanian chess master, openings analyst, and puzzle composer. He was a linguist, railway engineer and merchant .-Biography:...
, Alekhine
Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine was the fourth World Chess Champion. He is often considered one of the greatest chess players ever.By the age of twenty-two, he was already among the strongest chess players in the world. During the 1920s, he won most of the tournaments in which he played...
, Bogoljubov, and Vidmar
Milan Vidmar
Milan Vidmar was a Slovene electrical engineer, chess player, chess theorist, philosopher, and writer. He was a specialist in power transformers and transmission of electric current.- Biography :...
.
The Slav received an exhaustive test during the two Alekhine–Euwe World Championship
World Chess Championship
The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
matches in 1935 and 1937. Played by 11 of the first 13 world champions, this defense was particularly favored by Euwe
Max Euwe
Machgielis Euwe was a Dutch chess Grandmaster, mathematician, and author. He was the fifth player to become World Chess Champion . Euwe also served as President of FIDE, the World Chess Federation, from 1970 to 1978.- Early years :Euwe was born in Watergraafsmeer, near Amsterdam...
, 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...
, and Smyslov
Vasily Smyslov
Vasily Vasilyevich Smyslov was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster, and was World Chess Champion from 1957 to 1958. He was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship on eight occasions . Smyslov was twice equal first at the Soviet Championship , and his total of 17 Chess Olympiad medals won...
. More recently the Slav has been adopted by Anand, Ivanchuk, Lautier
Joel Lautier
Joël Lautier is a French chess grandmaster and FIDE Senior Trainer .Born in Canada, of French father and Japanese mother, Lautier is one of the strongest grandmasters from France. He won the 1988 World Junior Chess Championship on tiebreak at Adelaide, and the French Chess Championships in 2004...
, Short
Nigel Short
Nigel David Short MBE is an English chess grandmaster earning the title at the age of 19. Short is often regarded as the strongest English player of the 20th century as he was ranked third in the world, from January 1988 – July 1989 and in 1993, he challenged Garry Kasparov for the World Chess...
, and other top grandmasters
International Grandmaster
The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....
, including use in six of the eight games that 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...
played as Black in the 2006 World Championship
FIDE World Chess Championship 2006
The World Chess Championship 2006 was a chess match between Classical World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik, and FIDE World Chess Champion Veselin Topalov. The match, which was won by Kramnik, determined the undisputed World Chess Champion for the first time in 13 years...
(in the other two, he played the related Semi-Slav Defense
Semi-Slav Defense
The Semi-Slav Defense is a variation of the Queen's Gambit chess opening, defined by the position reached after the moves:For the Semi-Slav the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings designates codes D43 through D49.-Main variations:...
).
Today the theory of the Slav is very extensive and well developed.
General considerations
Black faces three major problems in many variations of the Queen's Gambit DeclinedQueen'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...
(QGD):
- Development of the black queen bishop is difficult, as it is often blocked by ...e6.
- The pawn structure offers White targets, especially the possibility of a minority attack on the queenside in the Exchange variation of the QGD.
- White often plays Bg5 to pin the black knight on f6 against the black queen, and unpinning it is awkward for Black.
The Slav addresses all of these problems. Black's queen bishop is unblocked; the pawn structure remains balanced; and the move Bg5 is not yet a threat as the unmoved black pawn on e7 prevents the pin. Also, if Black later takes the gambit pawn with ...dxc4, the support provided by the pawn on c6 allows ...b5 which may threaten to keep the pawn, or drive away a white piece that has captured it, gaining Black 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 expansion.
On the other hand, Black usually will not be able to develop the queen bishop without first giving up the center with ...dxc4, and developing this bishop may leave the black queenside weak. Additionally, the thematic break ...c5 incurs the loss of 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"...
.
Main variations
The Slav can be entered by many move orders.
The possibilities include 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c6, 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.d4 Nf6, and so on.
From the standard Slav position (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6), the most important continuations are
- 3.Nc3 e5 (Winawer Countergambit)
- 3.Nc3 e6 (Semi-Slav DefenseSemi-Slav DefenseThe Semi-Slav Defense is a variation of the Queen's Gambit chess opening, defined by the position reached after the moves:For the Semi-Slav the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings designates codes D43 through D49.-Main variations:...
) - 3.cxd5 cxd5 (Slav Exchange Variation)
- 3.Nf3 e6 (Semi-Slav DefenseSemi-Slav DefenseThe Semi-Slav Defense is a variation of the Queen's Gambit chess opening, defined by the position reached after the moves:For the Semi-Slav the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings designates codes D43 through D49.-Main variations:...
) - 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 (main line)
- 4... a6
- 4... dxc4 (Slav Accepted)
- 5.a4 (Alapin Variation)
- 5... Na6 (Smyslov Variation)
- 5... e6 (Soultanbéieff Variation)
- 5... Bf5 (Czech Variation)
- 6.e3 (Dutch Variation)
- 6.Ne5 (Krause Attack)
- 6.Nh4
- 5... Bg4 (Steiner Variation)
- 5.e3 (Alekhine Variation)
- 5.e4 (Slav Gambit)
- 5.a4 (Alapin Variation)
- 4... e6 (Semi-Slav DefenseSemi-Slav DefenseThe Semi-Slav Defense is a variation of the Queen's Gambit chess opening, defined by the position reached after the moves:For the Semi-Slav the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings designates codes D43 through D49.-Main variations:...
) - 4... g6 (Schlechter Variation)
- 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 (Slav Declined)
The Slav Exchange Variation "is the system that takes the fun out of playing the Slav" for Black.
After 3.cxd5 cxd5, the symmetrical position offers White only the advantage of the extra move,
but the drawish position offers Black little chance to win unless White is overly ambitious.
To avoid this possibility Black often chooses the move order 2...e6 followed by 3...c6 to enter the Semi-Slav.
Black can also transpose into the Semi-Slav Defense by playing ...e6 on either the third or fourth move.
The Semi-Slav Defense, a kind of a combination Orthodox Defense and Slav Defense,
is a very complex opening in its own right.
See Semi-Slav Defense
Semi-Slav Defense
The Semi-Slav Defense is a variation of the Queen's Gambit chess opening, defined by the position reached after the moves:For the Semi-Slav the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings designates codes D43 through D49.-Main variations:...
for details.
After 3.Nc3, the pressure on Black's center prevents 3...Bf5?, since after 4.cxd5 cxd5 5.Qb3 White wins a pawn.
Another Black try that doesn't work is 3...Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 Bc8 and now f4 and Nf3 followed by Ne5 gives White a big advantage.
Black can try the Winawer Countergambit, 3.Nc3 e5, which was introduced in Marshall–Winawer
Szymon Winawer
Szymon Abramowicz Winawer , born in Warsaw, Poland, was a leading chess player who won the German Chess Championship in 1883...
, Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
1901,
but usually Black transposes into the Semi-Slav with either 3...e6 or 3...Nf6 4.Nf3 e6.
White's other knight move is more popular than Nc3.
White can avoid the complexities of the Slav Accepted by entering the Slav Declined with 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3.
A common continuation is 4...Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5. White will try to take advantage of the absence of Black's queen bishop on the queenside, but this isn't enough to gain an advantage if Black plays accurately. Another way to play is 4...Bg4. This also equalizes easily.
The main line continues 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3.
Black shouldn't play 4...Bf5 because White will gain the advantage with either 5.Qb3 or 5.cxd5 followed by 6.Qb3.
Traditionally Black had a choice between 4...e6 and 4...dxc4 before developing the queen bishop, but in the 1990s 4...a6 was introduced, with the idea of developing the queenside without locking in the queen bishop or conceding the center.
As before, 4...e6 transposes into the Semi-Slav.
The Slav Accepted continues with 4...dxc4.
White's sharpest try is the Slav Gambit, 5.e4 b5.
White will then usually continue with the Geller
Efim Geller
Efim Petrovich Geller was a Soviet chess player and world-class grandmaster at his peak. He won the Soviet Championship twice and was a Candidate for the World Championship on six occasions...
-Tolush Gambit, 6.e5 Nd5 7.a4 e6, but it is unclear whether the attack is strong enough for the sacrificed pawn.
Evaluation of this line changes as improvements are found, but as of 2005 it is generally thought to favor Black.
White's other choices in the Slav Accepted are 5.e3 (Alekhine Variation) and 5.a4 (Alapin Variation).
Both moves are popular, with 5.e3 being more solid and 5.a4 being more aggressive.
With 5.a4 White acts against ...b5 and prepares 6.e4 and 7.Bxc4.
Black has several viable responses to White's pawn advance 5.a4:
The 5...a6 lines can be tricky. Black prepares to hold on to the gambit pawn with ...b5, and the game may transpose into the complex Meran Variation of the Semi-Slav.
With the Smyslov Variation, 5...Na6, Black allows the e-pawn to come to e4 but can gain counterplay by ...Bg4 and perhaps bringing the knight to b4 e.g. 6.e4 Bg4 7.Bxc4 e6 8.0-0 Nb4.
The Czech Variation can be considered the main line.
With 5...Bf5, Black prevents 6.e4.
If White plays 6.e3 (Dutch Variation), play can continue 6...e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4 8.0-0 0-0 with a fairly quiet game. Black can also play 6...Na6 with the idea of 7...Nb4, known as the Dutch, Lasker Variation.
A more energetic line begins 6.Ne5 (Krause Attack) where White intends f2-f3 and e2-e4 or Nxc4, perhaps followed by a fianchetto of the king bishop with g2-g3 and Bg2.
Black can try either 6...Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Qc7, which may leave White a bit better,
or 6...e6 7.f3 Bb4, when 8.e4 Bxe4 9.fxe4 Nxe4 is a complex piece sacrifice with the possible continuation 10.Bd2 Qxd4 11.Nxe4 Qxe4+ 12.Qe2 Bxd2+ 13.Kxd2 Qd5+ 14.Kc2 Na6.
In the Steiner Variation (also called the Bronstein
David Bronstein
David Ionovich Bronstein was a Soviet chess grandmaster, who narrowly missed becoming World Chess Champion in 1951. Bronstein was described by his peers as a creative genius and master of tactics...
Variation), 5...Bg4, White may be discouraged from e4 by the possibility 6.e4 e5.
More often the game continues 6.Ne5 Bh5.