Slav Defense
What is the Slav Defense?
The Slav Defense is a chess opening that begins with 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6. It is classified under ECO D10–D19 and has 52 named variations. Black chooses it with the move c6.
Moves: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6
ECO: D10–D19
Chosen by: Black
Main variations
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. e4
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 dxc4
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 e5
All 52 variations
| ECO | Variation | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| D10 | Main line | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 |
| D10 | Main line | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 |
| D10 | Diemer Gambit | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. e4 |
| D10 | Exchange Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 |
| D11 | Modern Line | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 |
| D10 | Main line | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 dxc4 |
| D10 | Winawer Countergambit | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 e5 |
| D11 | Bonet Gambit | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Bg5 |
| D11 | Breyer Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nbd2 |
| D11 | Quiet Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 |
| D10 | Slav Gambit, Alekhine Attack | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 dxc4 4. e4 |
| D15 | Three Knights Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 |
| D10 | Winawer Countergambit, Anti-Winawer Gambit | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 e5 4. e4 |
| D15 | Chebanenko Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 |
| D13 | Exchange Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. cxd5 cxd5 |
| D11 | Quiet Variation, Pin Defense | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4 |
| D12 | Quiet Variation, Schallopp Defense | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 |
| D15 | Schlechter Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 |
| D15 | Süchting Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Qb6 |
| D15 | Two Knights Attack | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 |
| D16 | Alapin Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 |
| D15 | Alekhine Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e3 |
| D15 | Chebanenko Variation, Advance System | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 5. c5 |
| D10 | Exchange Variation, Boor Attack | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. f3 |
| D15 | Geller Gambit | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4 |
| D15 | Chebanenko Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 5. e3 Bf5 |
| D17 | Czech Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 |
| D11 | Modern Line | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 g6 |
| D12 | Quiet Variation, Schallopp Defense | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 |
| D16 | Smyslov Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Na6 |
| D16 | Soultanbeieff Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 e6 |
| D16 | Steiner Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bg4 |
| D17 | Czech Variation, Bled Attack | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Nh4 |
| D18 | Czech Variation, Classical System | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 |
| D17 | Czech Variation, Krause Attack | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 |
| D13 | Exchange Variation, Schallopp Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Nc3 |
| D15 | Geller Gambit | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4 b5 6. e5 |
| D11 | Modern Line | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 Bg4 5. Bg2 e6 6. O-O |
| D11 | Modern Line | 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 c6 4. Bg2 Bg4 5. O-O Nbd7 6. c4 |
| D18 | Czech Variation, Lasker Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 Na6 |
| D17 | Czech Variation, Wiesbaden Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 e6 |
| D14 | Exchange Variation, Symmetrical Line | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bf4 Bf5 |
| D17 | Czech Variation, Krause Attack, Fazekas Gambit | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Na6 7. e4 |
| D12 | Quiet Variation, Amsterdam Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Nc3 e6 7. Ne5 Nfd7 |
| D19 | Czech Variation, Dutch Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. O-O |
| D17 | Czech Variation, Wiesbaden Variation, Sharp Line | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 e6 7. f3 Bb4 8. e4 |
| D12 | Quiet Variation, Landau Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Qb3 Qc8 7. Bd2 e6 8. Na3 |
| D17 | Czech Variation, Carlsbad Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Qc7 8. g3 e5 |
| D14 | Exchange Variation, Trifunovic Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bf4 Bf5 7. e3 e6 8. Qb3 Bb4 |
| D19 | Czech Variation, Classical System, Main Line | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. O-O O-O 9. Qe2 |
| D19 | Czech Variation, Dutch Variation, Sämisch Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. O-O O-O 9. Qe2 Ne4 10. g4 |
| D17 | Czech Variation, Carlsbad Variation, Morozevich Variation | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Qc7 8. g3 e5 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Bf4 Nfd7 11. Bg2 g5 |
How to learn an opening
Learn the ideas before the moves: where the pieces go, which pawn breaks matter and what the typical middlegame plans are. Then play it, and after each game look up the point where you or your opponent left the known moves. MentoChess shows that point automatically for every game you import.
Opening lessons: Three golden opening rules · Scholar’s mate and how to stop it · Italian Game: plans, not just moves · Answering 1.d4: the Queen’s Gambit Declined · Meeting the Sicilian with 2.c3 · From moves to structures