Learn › Lessons › Openings › Queen's pawn openings

Slav Defence

Black protects d5 with ...c6, keeping the c8-bishop free to come out to f5 or g4. Solid and popular at every level.

Intermediate · Queen's pawn openings · 17 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

Slav Defence (D17). You play Black. Black protects d5 with ...c6, keeping the c8-bishop free to come out to f5 or g4. Solid and popular at every level.

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...dxc4

Black plays pawn takes c4. It captures the pawn on c4. It gains space. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 35% of 62k games.

Step 10

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

Moves: 5.a4

White plays pawn to a4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 88% of 23k games.

Step 11

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

Moves: 5...Bf5

Black plays bishop to f5. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (e4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 82% of 20k games.

Step 12

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

Moves: 6.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 47% of 17k games.

Step 13

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

Moves: 6...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 98% of 7669 games.

Step 14

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

Moves: 7.Bxc4

White plays bishop takes c4. It develops the bishop into the game. It captures the pawn on c4. It controls the centre (d5). Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 98% of 7628 games.

Step 15

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

Moves: 7...Bb4

Black plays bishop to b4. It develops the bishop into the game. Now castling is possible. It pins the knight on c3. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 92% of 7322 games.

Step 16

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

Moves: 8.O-O

White castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 97% of 6779 games.

Step 17

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

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

Open the lesson on the board · free, no account needed to read it.

More lessons in Queen's pawn openings

Next lesson: Semi-Slav Defence (Meran)