Learn the Slav Defense

D10-D19 · a repertoire for black · 5 chapters · 54 annotated lines

"The rock-solid answer to the Queen's Gambit"

The Slav is the classical answer to 1.d4 d5 2.c4: defend d5 with 2...c6 and — unlike the Queen's Gambit Declined — keep the c8 bishop's diagonal open. It has carried world-championship matches for a century because the ideas are healthy at every level: a sound pawn center, a bishop that develops OUTSIDE the pawn chain to f5, and a queenside majority that wins endgames. This course gives you the full classical repertoire: the main line 4...dxc4 5.a4 Bf5, where you return the pawn for perfect development; the equalizing recipes against the Exchange Slav's false symmetry; the Slow Slav setup that neutralizes every e3 system; and the move-order map so no White door catches you off guard. Every line is engine-checked and ends in a position you'll know how to play.

What's inside

• Chapter 1: The Main Line — 4...dxc4 5.a4 Bf5
  Lines: The Dutch Variation — 6.e3, 6.Ne5 — Meet the Knight Lunge with ...e5!, The Geller Gambit 5.e4 — Take the Money, 6.Nh4 — The Bishop Chase, 6.Ne5 with 8.f3 — Strike with ...e5!, The a4-less Geller — 5.e3 b5, 6.Nd2 — The Slow Knight Recapture, 8.Bd2 — The Early Unpin, 5.Ne5 — The Lunge Without a4, The Geller with 6.a4 — Take the Second Pawn
• Chapter 2: The Exchange Slav — Beating Symmetry
  Lines: The Main Setup — Develop the Bishop First, 8.Qb3 — The Queen Poke, Answered, 8.Bb5 — The Pin, Sidestepped, 6.Bg5 — Meet the Pin with ...Ne4, 6.e3 — When White Skips Bf4, 4.Qb3 — The Instant Poke, 7.Bb5 — Answer the Pin with ...Rc8
• Chapter 3: The Quiet Systems — e3 Setups and Early Queen Moves
  Lines: The Slow Slav — 4.e3 Bf5, 5.Qb3 — The b7 Poke in the Slow Slav, 4.Qc2 — Take and Develop, 5.Nc3 e6 6.Qb3 — The Poke, Traded Off, 4.e3 Bf5 5.cxd5 — The Release, 5.Qb3 Qb6 6.c5 — Undermine the Clamp, 4.Qb3 — The Other Queen Door, 4.g3 — The Fianchetto Slav, 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Nc3 e6 7.Bd3 — Trade and Transpose, 4.g3 with 7.Nc3 — The Fianchetto's Main Try, 5.cxd5 with 7.Bb5+ — The Check That Helps You
• Chapter 4: Move Orders, Tricks & the Master Plan
  Lines: 3.Nc3 with 4.e3 — The Same Wall, Another Door, 3.e3 — The Ultra-Quiet Try, 3.Nc3 4.e3 Bf5 5.Qb3 — The Poke, Another Door, 4.e4?! — The Big-Center Lunge
• Chapter 5: The Dutch Tabiya — White's Middlegame Tries
  Lines: 9.Nh4 — Chasing After Castling, 9.Ne5 — The Central Knight, 10.Na2 — Hitting the Bishop, 10.Rd1 — The Quiet Rook, 11.e5 — The Immediate Push, 11.Bg5 — Break the Pin with ...Qa5, 11.h3 — Punish the Slow Move, 12.Bg5 — Answer the Pin with ...e5!, 12.h3 — Trade Before the Trap

Free sample: the main line, move by move

• 1. d4 — 1.d4 — the queen's pawn.
• 1... d5 — Stake your claim in the center. The Slav begins like the Queen's Gambit Declined — the difference comes on the next move.
• 2. c4 — The Queen's Gambit: White attacks d5 and offers a pawn that isn't really free.
• 2... c6 — The Slav move. The pawn defends d5 — but unlike 2...e6, it leaves the c8-h3 diagonal open. Your light-squared bishop, the problem piece of every QGD player, will develop OUTSIDE the pawn chain. That one idea is worth a whole opening.
• 3. Nf3 — White develops naturally.
• 3... Nf6 — Match it. Both sides want their kingside knight out before committing the center.
• 4. Nc3 — More pressure on d5. Now the threat of cxd5 followed by e4 is real, so it's time for the main-line decision.
• 4... dxc4 — Take it! This looks like it gives up the center, but it's a trade: White must spend time regaining the pawn, and you use that time to develop the bishop to f5. If White ever plays e4 to build the big center, you'll have finished developing first.
• 5. a4 — The main move — without it, 5...b5 would keep the extra pawn. Note what a4 costs: the b4 square is weak forever, and your bishop will use it.
• 5... Bf5 — The point of the whole system. The bishop gets its dream diagonal before ...e6 closes the door. Compare this bishop with its colleague on c1 — Black has already won the development argument.
• 6. e3 — White prepares Bxc4 — the classical Dutch Variation.
• 6... e6 — Now the door closes behind the bishop, exactly as planned. The pawn structure c6+e6 is the Slav wall: nothing on the light squares can be attacked.
• 7. Bxc4 — White regains the pawn. Material is level, but count the tempi — Black's bishop is out and White's c1 bishop is staring at its own pawns.
• 7... Bb4 — Development with a threat. The bishop uses the b4 square that 5.a4 weakened, pins nothing yet, but discourages e4 — after e4 Nxe4! tricks appear in some lines because the c3 knight is pinned-ish against the loose bishop.
• 8. O-O — White castles.
• 8... O-O — Castle too. Full development, safe king, no weaknesses — the opening has already succeeded. Everything after this is a middlegame you'll understand.
• 9. Qe2 — The main plan: White prepares e4 with the queen supporting.
• 9... Nbd7 — The right square for the knight — it supports ...e5 and ...c5 breaks and keeps c6 solid. Let White have e4; you're ready for it.
• 10. e4 — There it comes. The big center looks scary — but you're about to show why the bishop went to f5 first.
• 10... Bg6 — Step back once. The bishop keeps eyeing e4 from safety. It is NOT trapped — h5 is next if White pokes at it.
• 11. Bd3 — White offers the trade to blunt the g6 bishop.
• 11... Bh5 — Decline it! Trading would help White's development. From h5 the bishop pins nothing yet but ties the f3 knight to the queen, and after the coming e5 push it lands on g6 again — this time hitting the d3 bishop when the knight can't defend.
• 12. e5 — White grabs space and hits the f6 knight.
• 12... Nd5 — The knight finds the perfect central post — supported by c6, hitting the c3 knight, blockading White's pawn chain.
• 13. Nxd5 — White trades off the strong knight.
• 13... cxd5 — Recapture toward the center. Your structure is rock solid, the h5 bishop will re-route via g6, and the c-file just opened for YOUR rook. This is the main-line tabiya — equal chances, and Black's plan (...Rc8, ...Bg6, ...a6 and queenside play) is the easier to play.
• 14. Qe3 — White centralizes the queen, eyeing the kingside and vacating e2 for a rook.
• 14... Be7 — Reroute the bishop — it finished its job on b4 (the c3 knight is gone), so it heads for f6 or the d8-h4 diagonal to hit d4 and clear the way for ...g5 or ...Nf6-e4.
• 15. Bd2 — White develops the last minor piece and connects the rooks.
• 15... Rc8 — Grab the open c-file. Chances are level and dynamic: Black plays ...Bf6 to press d4, ...a6 and ...b5 to roll the queenside majority, and reroutes via g6 — the pawn structure guarantees you never get worse.

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