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Train this openingAbout this opening
Black supports d5 with the c-pawn instead of the e-pawn, and that single difference is the whole point: the bishop on c8 keeps its diagonal and can come to f5 or g4 before the position closes. That is what makes the Slav harder to squeeze than the Queen's Gambit Declined. Nc3 is the most played move here. Many players prefer Nf3 first precisely to stop the bishop coming out with comfort, and the scores back that up. The cost to Black is that the c-pawn no longer supports a c5 break, so freeing the game takes longer even though the pieces are better placed.
Plans
- Play Nc3 and Nf3 to pressure d5 from both sides.
- Play Nf3 early to make the bishop's development awkward.
- Aim for e4, the break that opens the position in your favor.
- Meet an early bishop sortie by hitting the loose queenside.
Where the pieces belong
- Knight: c3, pressing d5
- Knight: f3, covering e5 and watching the bishop
- Pawn: e4, the break that justifies your setup
- Bishop: f4, developed outside the chain
- Rook: c1, ready for the half-open file
Solid and slow. Black's pieces are better placed than in the Queen's Gambit Declined but the freeing break is harder to arrange, so you have time to build.
Variations
Slav Defense
3. Nc3