Download PGN of May '15 1 d4 d5 2 c4 games
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5.Qc2 Anti-Chebanenko with 5...g6 [D10]
In our first game I go into the various move order points behind playing 3.Nc3 against the Slav Defence (and what Black can do if he usually plays the Main Line Slav, which 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 avoids). The Chebanenko with 4...a6 makes a lot of sense in response since if White plays 5.Qc2, Avrukh's 5...g6 is a clear equaliser:
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In Dreev - Yilmaz the Russian GM and theoretician was unable to prove any edge, and I think this line represents a dead end for White who should try something else in his bid for an advantage. However it is also true that, because Black has gone for a slightly passive setup, it may be hard to play for a win if White is modest.
Chebanenko Hybrid System 4...a6 5.e3 Bf5 [D15]
In the last couple of years it has become extremely popular to play the system with 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.e3 Bf5 in the Slav, as it can arise from several move orders:
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In Carlsen - Mamedov, White played in a positional manner already seen before on ChessPub, but Mamedov was well prepared and should have equalised. I've done some analysis on 6.Ne5! in the notes and I think it's the only route to a small edge - read it before your opponents cotton on!
Slav Stonewall with 3.Nc3 c6 4.e3 [D31]
Recently on the Forum, a QGD Exchange/Slow Slav player described a move order problem against the Triangle system - they need separate answers to 2...c6 3.Nf3 e6 and 2...e6 3.Nc3 c6 because 4.Nc3/4.Nf3 Nf6 transposes to the Semi-Slav, which was outside their repertoire. The obvious suggestion is to play e3 and allow the Stonewall, but Bacrot - Grischuk indicates a problem in the move order device 4...Nd7!:
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Black preserves the option of playing ...f5 without running into a g4 break (as after 4...f5 5.g4) or the Ne5 sedative (4...Bd6 5.Nf3 f5 6.Ne5). The play gets very interesting after the game's 5.Qc2 Nh6! and I recommend you check out my analysis as this is very much unexplored territory, but theoretically important all the same.
Blackburne with 6...Nbd7 7.c5 [D37]
At this point we must take a short break from Slav move orders to get up to date with developments in what is White's main try nowadays against the QGD, the Blackburne system. The point is that after 5...0-0 6.e3 Nbd7 7.c5, White obtains a more or less permanent space advantage:
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However, in Giri - Caruana the Italian super-GM showed a very concrete path to equality with 7...Ne4, which you'll see doesn't just have the idea of Stonewalling with ...f5. I think this is Black's simplest path to equality, but I also cover a couple of alternatives to 7.c5 in the notes that weren't already in the ChessPub Archives.
On the other hand, Anand - Nakamura was quite an important recent example, showing how a patient approach can reward White in the most topical 7...Nh5 variation:
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It doesn't look like much for White, and it probably isn't if Black immediately doubles on the a-file, but in the game White was able to steadily improve his kingside position while keeping the queenside covered and went on to win a nice game. White's very nice score with 14.Re1 does suggest that White's extra space makes his position a lot easier to play and that's why I feel more comfortable recommending 7...Ne4 to you. Of course, these positions always lead to a very interesting strategic battle so you can definitely do well with them as White even though you aren't obtaining an advantage by force.
Semi-Slav Anti-Anti-Meran 5...a6 [D45]
One line I've wanted to cover for some time is the Anti-Anti-Meran which has occurred in a number of Andreikin's and Mamedyarov's recent games. I address all of White's options except for the main move 6.b3, and in Kasimdzhanov - Andreikin Black set up a rock solid position as follows:
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First Black took on b6 with the queen (a move new to this site), then instead of playing for the obvious ...c5, simply exchanged his bad bishop with ...a5 and ...Ba6. I haven't found any way for White to challenge Black's position, and I'd recommend looking into the Archives on 6.b3. But this is definitely a very safe way to play as Black if you want to avoid tons of Meran and Anti-Meran theory.
Schlechter Slav with 6.Be2 [D94]
The Schlechter Slav hasn't received much attention here despite being a popular and flexible way to obtain a solid position, so I took the opportunity to offer some suggestions for White to obtain an edge in the recent Carlsen - Mamedyarov:
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In the diagram above we can see Black's most fashionable try from the tabiya position in 7...b6, but Carlsen's 8.a4 plan seems to give a small pull and in the game that plus soon increased to huge proportions. I'd recommend 7...a6 to Black as I'm confident in my recommendations against Black's other 7th moves (and he has a lot of them!).
I have a few different things in mind for the next update, including a review of sorts of the recent GM Repertoire 1A: The Catalan by GM Avrukh and some sharp Ragozin/Semi-Slav lines, plus some games from the FIDE Grand Prix Khanty-Mansiysk tournament!
Do share your feedback as it helps make the site even better :) Max
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