Starting Out:

Slav & Semi-Slav

Glenn Flear

• Publisher: Popular Chess
• Year: 2005
• eBook ISBN: 9781781940587

The very closely linked Slav and Semi-Slav Defences are two of the most popular and combative openings that Black can play against the Queen's Gambit. They have provided the battleground for thousands of exciting encounters between the world's chess elite, including Garry Kasparov, Vishy Anand, Vladimir Kramnik, Alexei Shirov, and Alexander Morozevich. Players of all levels are attracted to the Slav and the Semi-Slav because they are solid, dependable defences that do, however, promise abundant possibilities for dynamic counterplay. In this easy-to-read guide, Grandmaster and openings expert Glenn Flear goes back to basics, studying the essential principles of the Slav and Semi-Slav Defences and their numerous variations. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips, and warnings to guide improving players, while key strategies, ideas, and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated. *User-friendly layout to help readers absorb ideas *Concentrates on the key principles of the Slav and Semi-Slav *Ideal for improving players

Table of contents

• Bibliography
• Introduction
• 1 The Main Line Slav: 5 a4 Bf5
• 2 Black’s Fifth Move Alternatives
• 3 Gambit Lines: 5 e4, 5 Ne5 and 5 e3
• 4 The Quiet 4 e3
• 5 The Exchange Variation
• 6 The Chameleon Slav: 4 ... a6
• 7 The Slav with ... g7-g6
• 8 The Botvinnik Variation: 5 Bg5 dxc4
• 9 The Moscow Variation: 5 Bg5 h6
• 10 The Meran Variation
• 11 Black avoids the Meran
• 12 White avoids the Meran
• 13 Early Deviations
• Quick Quiz
• Index of Complete Games
• Arlandi.E-Godena.M, Reggio Emilia 1994
• Azmaiparashvili.Z-Bareev.E, Montecatini Terme 2000
• Azmaiparashvili.Z-Chernin.A, Neum (rapid) 2000
• Bareev.E-Filippov.V, Russian Team Championship, Kazan 1995
• Bareev.E-Kramnik.V, Novgorod 1994
• Butnorius.A-Panchenko.A, Cheliabinsk 1975
• Chernin.A-Thorhallsson.T, New York 1997
• Czerwonski.A-Krasenkow.M, Polish Championship, Plock 2000
• Dreev.A-Movsesian.S, Sarajevo 2002
• Ehlvest.J-Stripunsky.A, New York 2003
• Euwe.M-Alekhine.A, World Championship match, Netherlands 1937
• Flear.G-Prié.E, Creon 1998
• Flear.G-Fressinet.L, Montpellier 2001
• Gabriel.G-Akopian.V, Germany vs. Armenia match, Baden Baden 1996
• Gagunashvili.M-Morozevich.A, Moscow 2003
• Gelfand.B-Shirov.A, Linares 1997
• Gurevich.M-Piket.J, Antwerp 1993
• Gurevich.M-Sokolov.I, Dos Hermanas 2001
• Halkias.S-Asrian.K, European Championship, Ohrid 2001
• Halkias.S-Sokolov.I, Bled Olympiad 2002
• Hansen.L.B.-Illescas Cordoba.M, Moscow 1994
• Herraiz.H-Flear.G, Elgoibar 2004
• Hübner.R-Mastrovasilis.D, Germany vs. Greece match, Corfu 1999
• Illescas Cordoba.M-Harikrishna.P, Calvia Olympiad 2004
• Illescas Cordoba.M-Kramnik.V, Madrid 1993
• Ivanchuk.V-Kramnik.V, Novgorod 1996
• Ivanchuk.V-Lautier.J, Linares 1994
• Ivanchuk.V-Shirov.A, Dos Hermanas 1996
• Ivanisevic.I-Zivanic.M, Herceg Novi 2001
• Jelen.Ig-Ragger.M, Kranj 2004
• Kahn.E-Portisch.L, Hungarian Team Championship 2003
• Kamsky.G-Kramnik.V, New York match 1994