Slav Formation

The Slav formation could very well also be called the Queen's Gambit Accepted formation, as it originates from Black capturing ... dxc4 in a Queen's Gambit position. This structure shares many common features with the Caro-Kann structure we studied in the previous chapter. To start, Black's pawn trade ... c4 still results in: I. White gaining better control of the centre. 2. White having more space by virtue of a pawn on the fourth rank. Similarly to the previous chapter, White has a comfortable advantage in this structure, and Black should hope to break free with a central break. Specific plans can be formulated as follows:

White's plans :

The control of the centre opens up multiple opportunities for White everywhere on the board. Similarly to the previous chapter, White has the plans:

1. Creating a kingside attack, this time with h2- h4-h5-h6 (or hxg6 if applicable) and possibly e3-e4-e5.

2. Placing knights on the strong outposts e5 and c5, controlling the centre.

3. Playing e4-e5 to fix the centre and control the d6-square (similar to c4-c5 in the previous chapter). Unlike the previous chapter, White also has the possibility of:

4. Carrying out a minority attack with a2-a4 and b2-b4-b5, in order to create a weakness on the queenside.

5. Simply gaining space with b2-b4, as well as preventing the ... c6-c5 break. This is far more likely than playing f2-f4 in the CaroKann structure, simply because f2-f4 weakens White's king somewhat.

Black's plans :

The main objective is to dispute White's centre and transform the structure. This can be achieved by:

1. Breaking in the centre with ... c6-c5, probably obtaining a symmetrical position after dxc5, or an isolani after ... c5xd4.

2 Breaking in the centre with ... e6-e5 will probably produce a 4-2 versus 3-3 pawn structure with roughly level chances.

3. Exerting pressure on the d4-pawn once e3-e4 has been played.

4. Disrupting White's centre with ... f7-f5. This is analogous to the plan ... b7-b5 in the CaroKann structure.

Similarly to the previous chapter, White's plans aim for an advantage, while most of Black's plans aim to equalize by transforming the structure. Black's Plan 3 rarely works, either because the d4-pawn can be easily defended, or because White players know when to refrain from e3-e4, exactly in order to prevent this plan. It should be noted that Black's Plan 2 is more likely to be achieved, since White can often prevent Plan 1 by placing a rook on the open c-file.

Outposts :

Black may place a knight on his d5-outpost, but this knight cannot compete with White's knights placed on the e5- and c5-squares. White can easily push e3-e4 to get rid of the knight on d5, if it is absolutely necessary. In contrast, White's knights on c5 or e5 are harder to deal with, as they are on the fifth rank, and Black cannot easily expel them. Chasing them away with ... f7-f6 and ... b7-b6 would create serious weaknesses on e6 and c6 respectively. The first example in this chapter illustrates White's attacking chances on the kingside, while the second game is an example of White's positional advantage in an endgame in which Black loses by asphyxiation. The third and fourth games are devoted to the central breaks ... c6-c5 and ... e6-e5 respectively. The last game in the chapter is a combination of Black's Plans 3 and 4. The chapter finishes with a short fragment to exemplify White's Plan 3.