Theoria
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Slav Defense

Süchting Variation

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  1. 1.d4d5
  2. 2.c4c6
  3. 3.Nf3Nf6
  4. 4.Nc3Qb6
381 games52%43%

A rare Slav Defense sideline in which Black plays 4...Qb6, bringing the queen out early to pressure b2 and d4; engines give White a slight edge.

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About the Süchting Variation

The Süchting Variation answers 4. Nc3 with 4...Qb6, an early queen sortie that eyes b2 and adds pressure to d4 while leaving the c8-bishop free to develop. It is a rare sideline of the Slav. The most common replies are 5. e3, 5. c5, which gains queenside space with tempo against the queen and scores well for White, and 5. cxd5. Engines give White a slight edge, favoring developing moves such as 5. Bd2 or 5. Qc2.

Popular continuations