Slav Defense

• At a glance

  Slav Defense

  Your main defense against 1.d4: 973 games, 46.1%, and four precise lines where the points slip away.

  19 cards, one idea each. Swipe to move on.

• The big idea

  The Slav is a simple deal: you hold d5 with the c-pawn rather than the e-pawn, and in return your c8 bishop gets out before …e6 locks it in.

• The big idea

  What you pay: a b7 square with no defender as soon as the bishop leaves, and a white queen that comes to b3 to remind you of it.

• The big idea

  What you buy: a structure with no weaknesses, and the only "bad bishop" in the game on your opponent's side.

• The big idea

  Over 973 games, you score 46.1%: 3.5 points below your overall score (49.6%) and below your average with Black (48%).

• The big idea

  The opening isn't to blame: in your main line (4.e3 Bf5 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nh4 Be4 7.f3 Bg6 8.Qb3 Qb6), the engine says equal and you score 52%.

• The big idea

  The points leak out in four precise places: the plan after 8.Bd2 (42 games, 29%), the bishop coming out one tempo too early against 4.Nc3, the knight retreat against the fianchetto, and two reflex queen trades on b3 that only work in one position out of two.

• The big idea

  This course takes them one by one.

• Principle

  The bishop before e6

  Your games: 211× · 46% of points

  In the Slav, the c8 bishop comes out via f5 before …e6. Play …e6 first, or …Nbd7 which blocks d7, and you're back in a Queen's Gambit Declined with a locked-in bishop.

• Principle

  When the queen comes to b3, count d5

  Your games: 8× · 31% of points

  Qb3 attacks b7, but often d5 as well. …Qb6 covers b7, and pulls the queen off the defense of d5. Before playing …Qb6, check who still holds d5.

• Principle

  Against Nh4, …Be4 before …Bg6

  Your games: 126× · 48% of points

  The detour via e4 forces f3: the pawn takes the knight's square and weakens e3. Only then …Bg6, and hxg6 if Nxg6.

• Principle

  Against c5, keep the queens

  Your games: 8× · 19% of points

  When White closes the queenside with c5, the trade on b3 opens the a-file for them. The queen drops back to c7 and prepares …e5 or …b6 against the chain.

• Principle

  Trade rather than retreat

  Your games: 16× · 28% of points

  Against the fianchetto, your d5 knight ends up chased away by e4. Trade it on c3 while there's still time, instead of adding a defender to it.

• Imbalance

  Your bishop out, theirs in

  Your games: 211× · 46% of points

  After e3 for White and …Bf5 …e6 for you, it's their c1 bishop that's locked in behind its chain. The whole Nh4 line exists to fix that by taking your bishop.

• Imbalance

  The b7 square

  Your games: 57× · 61% of points

  Once the bishop has gone to f5, b7 has no defender. Qb3 almost always comes: the question isn't whether, but how you answer it.

• Imbalance

  The h-file against the bishop pair

  Your games: 26× · 52% of points

  When Nxg6 hxg6 happens, White has the bishop pair, and you have a half-open h-file and a structure without holes. It's balanced as long as the center doesn't open in their favor.

• The trade-off

  What you gain

  • A c6-d5-e6 structure with no pawn weaknesses at all.
  • Your light-squared bishop is active, while the opponent's c1 bishop is often locked in.
  • Plans you know by heart: …Qb6, …Nbd7, …hxg6 and the h-file.
• The trade-off

  What you give up

  • The b7 square has no defender as soon as the bishop is out.
  • You often have to face the bishop pair after Nh4xg6.
  • In the exchange lines, the symmetry makes every tempo decisive, and the queen on b3 gains one.
• That's all

  Your turn

  These ideas only stick once you play the moves. The chapters make you find the right ones.

  Start chapter 1

Card 1 of 19: Slav Defense

Use the left and right arrow keys to change cards.