Theoria
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Slav Defense

Czech Variation, Classical System, Main Line

D19positionalsolid

  1. 1.d4d5
  2. 2.c4c6
  3. 3.Nf3Nf6
  4. 4.Nc3dxc4
  5. 5.a4Bf5
  6. 6.e3e6
  7. 7.Bxc4Bb4
  8. 8.O-OO-O
  9. 9.Qe2
425 games45%45%

Main line of the Classical Czech Slav: 9. Qe2 prepares e4, and Black must either allow the advance or stop it, most often with 9...Bg6.

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About the Main Line

9. Qe2 prepares 10. e4, which would gain a tempo on the f5-bishop and launch a kingside attack. Black either allows the advance with 9...Nbd7, regarded as the main line, keeping the knight ready to defend via f8, or prevents it. The most played reply, 9...Bg6, makes 10. e4 fail to 10...Bxc3 11. bxc3 Nxe4, so White usually turns to 10. Ne5. 9...Bg4 and 9...Ne4 are other ways to stop e4. Engines consider the game roughly balanced.

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