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Semi-Slav Defence (Meran)

Black combines ...c6 and ...e6, then takes on c4 and expands with ...b5, ...Bb7 and ...c5. Rich and sharp.

Advanced · Queen's pawn openings · 16 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Semi-Slav Defence (Meran) (D47). You play Black. Black combines ...c6 and ...e6, then takes on c4 and expands with ...b5, ...Bb7 and ...c5. Rich and sharp.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 35% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...d5

Black plays pawn to d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. It opens a line for the queen on d8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 25% of 1.4 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.c4

White plays pawn to c4. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It challenges the opponent's pawns. It offers a pawn (a gambit) to win time or the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 71% of 357k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...c6

Black plays pawn to c6. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 45% of 241k games.

Step 6

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 58% of 118k games.

Step 7

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 91% of 74k games.

Step 8

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Nc3

White plays knight to c3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 51% of 101k games.

Step 9

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...e6

Black plays pawn to e6. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 41% of 62k games.

Step 10

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.e3

White plays pawn to e3. It controls the centre (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 43% of 45k games.

Step 11

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...Nbd7

Black plays knight to d7. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 88% of 35k games.

Step 12

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.Bd3

White plays bishop to d3. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (e4). Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 37% of 32k games.

Step 13

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...dxc4

Black plays pawn takes c4. It captures the pawn on c4. It gains space. It attacks the bishop on d3. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 79% of 12k games.

Step 14

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.Bxc4

White plays bishop takes c4. It captures the pawn on c4. It controls the centre (d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 9295 games.

Step 15

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7...b5

Black plays pawn to b5. It offers a pawn (a gambit) to win time or the centre. It attacks the bishop on c4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 98% of 9444 games.

Step 16

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the Semi-Slav Defence (Meran). Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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