Slav Defense: the complete guide
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6
The solid reply of the Slavic masters (Alapin, Bogoljubov, then Euwe and Smyslov): defend d5 with ...c6 WITHOUT burying the c8-bishop. Two world championships (1935, 1937) were fought on its lines.
How it starts, move by move
- 1. d4d4 occupies the center.
- ... d5d5 occupies the center.
- 2. c4c4 strikes at the center.
- ... c6c6 controls d5.
Both sides plans
White's plan
Occupy the center, develop quickly, castle, then pick a wing.
Black's plan
Contest the center before White occupies all of it.
What is actually played
Real shares of the continuations after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6, Lichess games by Elo band.
| Continuation | Elo 1400 | Elo 1600 | Elo 1800 | Elo 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. Nc3 | 51 % | 54 % | 57 % | 52 % |
| 3. Nf3 | 16 % | 16 % | 18 % | 27 % |
| 3. cxd5 | 12 % | 12 % | 12 % | 14 % |
The main variations
- Slav DefenseD101. d4 d5 2. c4 c6
- Modern LineD111. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3
- Three Knights VariationD151. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3
- Two Knights AttackD151. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4
- Alapin VariationD161. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4
- Czech VariationD171. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4
- Czech Variation, Krause AttackD171. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4
- Quiet VariationD111. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3
- Quiet Variation, Schallopp DefenseD121. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5
- Czech Variation, Classical SystemD181. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4
- Exchange VariationD101. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5
- Exchange VariationD131. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. cxd5 cxd5
Frequently asked questions
- What moves start the Slav Defense?
- The Slav Defense starts with 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6. Every move is explained in the interactive explorer.
- How many named variations does the Slav Defense have?
- 52 named variations, from the Lichess ECO database. The main ones are listed on this page; the full tree lives in the branch map.
- What is the most played continuation?
- Around 2000 Elo, the most frequent continuation is 3. Nc3, played in 52% of games (Lichess data).
- How can I learn the Slav Defense for free?
- The explorer, free play, review cards and the essential ★1 course of the Slav Defense are free on OpeningMate. The ★2 to ★5 levels and per-variation courses are part of Premium.
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