Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit, Tolush Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code D31, part of the Semi-Slav Defense family. It goes 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxd4 7. Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8. Be2 c5 9. Bxc5 Qxg2. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... d5. After 18 moves it is White to move. After the last move Black is a pawn ahead in material. 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... e6 – Black plays the pawn to e6
3. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
3... c6 – Black plays the pawn to c6
4. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
4... dxe4 – Black captures on e4 with the d-pawn
5. Nxe4 – White takes on e4 with the knight
5... Bb4+ – Black plays the bishop to b4, giving check
6. Bd2 – White plays the bishop to d2
6... Qxd4 – Black takes on d4 with the queen
The line goes on for 6 more moves; the lesson shows them all.
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.
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