Slav Defense: Czech Variation, Dutch Variation, Sämisch Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code D19, part of the Slav Defense family. It goes 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. O-O O-O 9. Qe2 Ne4 10. g4. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... d5. After 19 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. 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... dxc4 – Black captures on c4 with the d-pawn
5. a4 – White plays the pawn to a4
5... Bf5 – Black plays the bishop to f5
6. e3 – White plays the pawn to e3
6... e6 – Black plays the pawn to e6
The line goes on for 7 more moves; the lesson shows them all.
About the Slav Defense
After 1.d4 d5 2.c4, Black defends d5 with 2...c6. Unlike the QGD, the light-squared bishop can come out to f5 or g4.
Black often takes on c4 with ...dxc4 and later plays ...Bf5 and ...e6.
White often stops ...b5 with a4 and wins the c4 pawn back.
The pawn structure is very solid; Black later frees with ...c5 or ...e5.
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