Slav Defense: Exchange Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code D13, part of the Slav Defense family. It goes 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. cxd5 cxd5. 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. cxd5 – White captures on d5 with the c-pawn
4... cxd5 – Black captures on d5 with the c-pawn
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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