Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense is a chess opening with the ECO code D05, part of the Rubinstein Opening family. It goes 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 Bd6 5. O-O O-O 6. b3 Nbd7 7. Bb2. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... d5. After 13 moves it is Black to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.
The moves
1. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
1... d5 – Black plays the pawn to d5
2. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
2... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
3. e3 – White plays the pawn to e3
3... e6 – Black plays the pawn to e6
4. Bd3 – White plays the bishop to d3
4... Bd6 – Black plays the bishop to d6
5. O-O – White castles kingside
5... O-O – Black castles kingside
6. b3 – White plays the pawn to b3
6... Nbd7 – Black plays the knight to d7
The line goes on for 1 more moves; the lesson shows them all.
About the Rubinstein Opening
A quiet d4 system with e3, Bd3 and b3, close to the Colle-Zukertort. White puts the bishop on b2 and aims at Black's king.
The Bb2 and Bd3 bishops both aim at the kingside.
White plays Ne5 and sometimes f4 to start an attack.
Black gets a fine game with ...c5, ...Nc6 and ...b6.
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