Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code D45, part of the Semi-Slav Defense family. It goes 1. Nf3 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. b3 Bd6 6. Bb2 O-O 7. d4 Nbd7. White opens with 1. Nf3 (the Zukertort/Réti knight move) and Black answers 1... d5. After 14 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. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
1... d5 – Black plays the pawn to d5
2. e3 – White plays the pawn to e3
2... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
3. c4 – White plays the pawn to c4
3... c6 – Black plays the pawn to c6
4. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
4... e6 – Black plays the pawn to e6
5. b3 – White plays the pawn to b3
5... Bd6 – Black plays the bishop to d6
6. Bb2 – White plays the bishop to b2
6... O-O – Black castles kingside
The line goes on for 2 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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