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OPENING
Slav Defense
Bulletproof structure meets active piece play. Solid and dangerous.
“Bulletproof structure. Active pieces. Solid AND dangerous.”
— Boris, your coach
30 lessons~4 hoursPlayed by Vladimir Kramnik
Progress0 / 30
What you’ll learn
- c6 supports d5 without blocking the c8 bishop
- The bishop develops to f5 BEFORE playing e6
- dxc4 grabs the pawn in the main line, with Bf5 to follow
- The Semi-Slav (c6 + e6) maximizes solidity at the cost of the bishop
- a4 prevents b5 in the main line
- The Exchange Slav leads to a minority attack structure
Start the course
The Slav Idea
Why c6 Beats e6
1
The Slav Idea
Why c6 Beats e62
Main Line Slav
Bf5 and Complete DevelopmentThe Slav Bishop
Bf5 vs Bg4 vs HomeThe Exchange Slav
Symmetric but Not DrawnThe Semi-Slav
When to Play e6 EarlyThe Chebanenko
The ...a6 MoveComplete Slav Setup
Putting It All TogetherDefending Bf5
Prophylaxis Against Nh4White Plays Nf3 First
Avoiding the Winawer TrickAnti-Slav with Bf4
The London Setup Against UsSlav vs Early Nc3
The Winawer Countergambit OptionExchange Slav — Handling the Minority Attack
Symmetric Positions, Real FightThe Quiet Slav
When White Plays e3 EarlyMeeting White's Ne5
When White Jumps Into the CenterMeran Counter-Attack
Semi-Slav Queenside ExpansionMain Line Middlegame
c5, Ne4, and the Bishop PairSlav Endgame Technique
The Queenside MajoritySemi-Slav Middlegame
Bb7 and the c5 BreakChebanenko Middlegame
Using the a6 SetupExchange Slav — Keep the Tension
Don't Be Afraid to Play OnSlav Endgame — Queenside Majority
Creating a Passed PawnMinority Attack Defense
Neutralizing White's b4-b5 PlanMeran Middlegame
The Bb7 Long DiagonalTrap: Premature Qb3
Winning a PawnTrap: Ne4 Wins the c-Pawn
Tactical Shot After Main LineTrap: Bxf3 Wins the Tempo
Destroying White's Pawn StructureDon't Play Bf5 Too Early
The Qb3 PunishmentDon't Play e6 Too Early
Trapping Your Own BishopVan Wely vs Morozevich, 2001
Loek van Wely vs Alexander Morozevich · 2001Nyback vs Ivanchuk, 2004
Tomi Nyback vs Vasyl Ivanchuk · 2004