Semi-Slav Defense

Semi-Slav Defense is a chess opening with the ECO code D43. It goes 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... d5. After 8 moves it is White 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. c4 – White plays the pawn to c4
• 2... c6 – Black plays the pawn to c6
• 3. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
• 3... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
• 4. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
• 4... e6 – Black plays the pawn to e6

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 5. e3.

About the Semi-Slav Defense

Black combines ...c6 and ...e6 against the Queen's Gambit, making a solid triangle around d5. Some lines, like the Meran and Botvinnik, are very sharp.

• Black can take on c4 with ...dxc4 and hold the pawn with ...b5.
• The freeing breaks are ...c5 and ...e5.
• The c8 bishop often goes to b7 after ...b5 or ...b6.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the Semi-Slav Defense course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation (1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3)
• Continues with: Semi-Slav Defense: Anti-Moscow Gambit – adds 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4
• Continues with: Semi-Slav Defense: Moscow Variation – adds 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6
• Continues with: Semi-Slav Defense Accepted – adds 5. Bg5 dxc4
• Continues with: Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation, Center Variation – adds 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6
• Continues with: Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation, Shabalov Attack – adds 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6
• Continues with: Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Lundin Variation – adds 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4
• Continues with: Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Reynolds' Variation – adds 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4
• Continues with: Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Sozin Variation – adds 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4
• Related line: Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation, Anti-Noteboom Variation, Belyavsky Line (1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. Bg5 f6)
• Related line: Semi-Slav Defense: Anti-Moscow Gambit (1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4)
• Related line: Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation, Anti-Noteboom Variation (1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. Bg5)
• Related line: Semi-Slav Defense: Hastings Variation (1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. Qb3)
• Related line: Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation, Anti-Noteboom Gambit (1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. g3)
• Related line: Semi-Slav Defense: Moscow Variation (1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6)

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