Introduction to the Slav Defense

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The Slav Defense is one of the most common defenses to d4, more specifically, to the Queen’s Gambit (1. d4 d5 2. c4). White offers the c4 pawn in exchange for central control if it’s taken, and black has a choice to make. He can take it, accepting the gambit, or he can defend his d5 pawn which has been attacked with c4. Defending it with pawns is the only sensible option since playing Nf6, and allowing cxd5 Nxd5 would be met with e4, expanding in the center with tempo.

There are two ways to defend the d5 pawn; two most common defenses to the Queen’s Gambit: the Queens Gambit Declined (e6), and the Slav Defense (c6). Even though they serve the same purpose, their positional, strategic, and tactical implications are very different. By playing e6, black closes in his c8 bishop behind its own pawn chain. That is one of the main differences. Along with that, he can no make sure that his bishop is able to defend the sometimes weak d7 and c6 squares. With the Slav defense, by playing c6 instead, black keeps the option of developing the bishop to the most natural squares; f5 or g4, before he closes the position down with e6.

That may seem like a small difference, but the two openings are worlds apart. As opposed to the Semi Slav Defense (   • Introduction to the Semi-Slav Defense  ), in which black eventually does play e6 while the bishop is still on c8, in the Slav he tries to resolve the issue of the bishop before doing so.

One of the main strategic struggles of the opening is developing the bishop without weakening the queenside irreparably and allowing tactical tricks which could win material.

The Slav Defense branches out into several key variations. White is the first one to choose. He can meet the Slav with Nf3, Nc3, e3 or taking on d5. Playing Nf3, the most natural move, leads to the main lines of the opening. After black plays Nf6, and white plays Nc3, we come to the main branching of theory. If black now plays e6, closing the pawn triangle down, we have entered the Semi-Slav. The Slav can be played three different ways; the main line is dxc4, preparing to develop the bishop to f5 without dire consequences. Two main alternatives are a6, the Chameleon variation, and g6, Schlechter variation.

All three will be covered in a separate video, as well as some of the variations which start after a different third move for white. There each variation will be explained in detail, with main plans, ideas, patterns and structures.

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