Slav Defence – Best Chess Opening – Part 1 – Schallopp Variation – Slav

The Slav Defense operates on similar principles found in the Stonewall Attack and  French Defense, in that the pawns will be placed primarily on 1 color (the light squares c6, d5, e6) and the pieces will emphasize control of the dark squares in the center (c5, d6, e5, etc..) Of the 3 openings that I have chosen for this comprehensive beginner chess opening series, the Slav Defense is definitely the most complex. There are just so many complicated lines that I have decided to focus exclusively on the Schallopp Variation because it is the simplest to learn and still very effective. The credibility of the Schallopp Variation is enhanced by it’s regular use at the top level by Super-GMs Alexey Shirov, Boris Gelfand, and Alexey Dreev. The Schallopp Variation is distinguished from other lines in the Slav Defense because it thematically involves the deployment of the light-squared bishop to f5 where it will be active and outside of the pawn chain (e6, d5, c6). In the video for Part 1 of this Beginner Chess Openings series, I examine four different games to provide the big picture on main lines in the Schallopp Defense involving an early Nf3 and e3 by white. Interface used ICC: www.chessclub.com