27
votes
Why is 1. d4 2. c4 3. b3 so bad for white?
Stockfish evaluation is not the only criterion to determine whether a move is sound or not. The main issue with committing so early to 3.b3 (against this particular Black setup) is that there are no ...
- 16.9k
24
votes
Accepted
If 1. e4 c6 is considered as a sound defense for black, why is 1. c3 so rare?
"Reversed" Openings in general
A black defense and its white mirror counterpart will often play out quite differently (compare the rather sharp Sicilian Defense and the rather quiet English Opening). ...
- 5,949
18
votes
Why is 1. d4 2. c4 3. b3 so bad for white?
There are 3 main reasons for this move to be inaccurate.
It doesn't place any pressure on black's position.
It weakens c3, allowing black to "force" your knight to the more passive square ...
- 5,170
16
votes
Accepted
Semi-Slav name origin
It simply because
With Black advancing pawns to both e6 and c6, the opening resembles a mixture of the Orthodox Queen's Gambit Declined (QGD) and the Slav Defense.
(from wikipedia)
If you consider ...
- 1,553
15
votes
Why is Leela so good at beating Stockfish in the French/Slav?
Well, it is a small sample, but assuming that there are a lot more games like these, I think it could be the following things.
First, I am not sure when we first humans first decided that space was ...
- 32.7k
13
votes
Accepted
How do I respond to 8. g3?! in the 4. e3 Slav?
I see no reason to ?! mark. 8. g3 is good book move and standard way to limit opponent's play with open h-file. The most flexible move by far is 8...Nbd7 after it. After 9.Bg2 dxc4 should be good. But ...
- 3,286
11
votes
Why is Leela so good at beating Stockfish in the French/Slav?
Generally speaking, Leela tends to have a better "intuition" and Stockfish is very good at brute force calculations. So in a structure like the French/Caro-Kann, where calculation becomes less ...
- 19.9k
11
votes
Why is Leela so good at beating Stockfish in the French/Slav?
Because of the enormous skill difference between these computers and humans, any kind of analysis will inevitably be post-hoc. We can tell ourselves stories about how "Stockfish should have [insert ...
- 628
11
votes
Why is 1. d4 2. c4 3. b3 so bad for white?
One should be very careful with the win percentage parameter. Probably here b3 was mostly played by lower-rated players trying to avoid theoretical lines and confuse the higher-rated opponent. Another ...
- 1,326
10
votes
Accepted
Can black play the London system?
That is the Slav, but the problem for black in many of these lines, and specifically immediately, is that if 3...Bf5, then 4.cd cd 5.Qb3 forces you to sacrifice d5 or b7 since 5...b6 just loses.
...
- 32.7k
9
votes
Accepted
What is the rationale behind Black playing e6 in so many openings?
In the French Defense, the modest pawn advance in e6 simply plans to challenge the e4-pawn by d5, without having to recapture with the Queen after a possible capture in d5. The idea is thus similar to ...
- 3,525
9
votes
If 1. e4 c6 is considered as a sound defense for black, why is 1. c3 so rare?
1. c3 (and 1. d3 and 1. e3, which can lead to reversed Pircs, French defense or QGD) aren't bad in that they give White a worse position. So those moves might have some merit as a surprise weapon (if ...
- 25k
8
votes
Accepted
Positional chess understanding in the early game
The main point of the engine recommending exd5 is because it opens up the diagonal from c8 to h3. By playing an early e6, the bad light squared bishop is really weak and has terrible scope, which is ...
- 618
7
votes
Accepted
Is the queens gambit declined getting more popular than the slav?
It seems to be that the QGD is regaining some popularity at the top level due to theory advancing. I don't think that says anything about the overall popularity of the two openings though (i.e., ...
- 19.9k
7
votes
What does black achieve with 1.d4 c6?
You're right that players who choose 1...c6 must be fine with the Caro-Kann, which is one reason why it's not that popular. However, there are some people who are fine with the Caro-Kann, and so the ...
- 19.9k
6
votes
Accepted
Achieving Catalan-like structure against Slav response
Are there strong responses different from 4. .. e6 for black against 4. g3 that avoid the Catalan?
4...Bf5
One interesting alternative is 4...Bf5, with very original play. Before playing e6, Black ...
- 3,525
6
votes
What does black achieve with 1.d4 c6?
I would add one little thing to Inertial Ignorance's answer: The reason it is so unpopular is probably that the Caro seems more passive than the Slav, and I say this as a long-time Caro player. E4 ...
- 32.7k
6
votes
Can black play the London system?
The London Defensive System is actually a named line in the Réti Opening. And yes, it is very playable. You don't see this very often nowadays, because White will try to stop Black from playing it.
...
- 1,310
6
votes
Positional chess understanding in the early game
The "e" columns being open is not an issue for king safety. Your king is only there temporarely. After ...exd5, Black would probably follow with ...Bd6 and ...0-0, then at some point ...Re8 ...
- 16.9k
6
votes
Accepted
slav defence: 3. nc3?
3.Nc3 is very decent move. It has been less often used than 3.Nf3 when White is aiming for the main lines of the Slav defense because it gives Black two more options:
The Winawer gambit, 3.Nc3 e5!? 4....
- 16.6k
5
votes
Can black play the London system?
I tried this about 15 years ago and after 4. cd cd 5. Qb3 I was soon in a world of pain. I've never tried it since.
[fen ""]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Bf5 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. Qb3
There is no good way to ...
- 100k
5
votes
Accepted
What does black achieve with 1.d4 c6?
Of course you must be ready to play the Caro-Kann if you answer 1. d4 with 1. ... c6. But that is a sound opening - so why not, if you already play it against 1. e4? You will probably be better ...
- 174
5
votes
Accepted
Could I have improved my position in this pawn up exchange Slav?
Your play was good, and you managed to slowly gain the upper hand from the more or less dead equal opening. At the end Rxe3 is forced, but after Qd2 I would have definitely considered Re4. You ...
- 19.9k
5
votes
Accepted
Why is ...a6 played in the Exchange Slav?
It prevents Nb5-c7. That's the main point behind the move. Just take a look at the disaster a careless move like 6...g6? could lead to.
6...a6 is not the only option, though. Black can try for ...
- 16.9k
5
votes
Accepted
Transpose to the Slav as Black after 1. ...Nf6?
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c6 followed by 3...d5 is a reasonnable and legitimate move order to enter the Slav defense. I have used it regularly at Fide master level.
As with every move order transposition, it has ...
- 16.6k
5
votes
Accepted
Bf5 in the Slav
Here White has chosen a slow, Catalan-like development, and is less capable of exploiting the weakness of b7.
Every move order has its own flavour but the weakness of b7 (and of the Black queenside ...
- 16.6k
4
votes
What are the main plans for black and white in the main-line Slav after 5...Bf5 6.e3?
Fight for the center
The variation with 9.Nh4 has its own flawor. For the other main lines, the logical plans flow from the strategic evaluation of each side's plusses and minuses:
White enjoys the ...
- 16.6k
4
votes
If 1. e4 c6 is considered as a sound defense for black, why is 1. c3 so rare?
c3 is an inferior first move. White has the advantage of moving first and should use it to seize the initiative and put black on the defensive. The basic idea behind the Caro Kann is to ...
- 563
4
votes
If 1. e4 c6 is considered as a sound defense for black, why is 1. c3 so rare?
Because White has the initiative and usually feels that s/he can do better than "a sound/solid defense".
- 2,837
3
votes
What does black achieve with 1.d4 c6?
At low/medium level
Convenience.
At sub-master level, most people don't have a broad opening repertoire, they will always play one specific defense against 1. e4 and one against 1. d4. Most of them ...
- 5,949
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