What is the idea behind the Slav Defence?

Defend d5 with the c-pawn and the problem bishop walks free. In practice that means: Support d5 with …c6 instead of …e6 so the c8-bishop keeps its diagonal; Grab the c4-pawn and hold it with …b5 if White doesn't act quickly; Develop the bishop to f5 or g4 before closing the position with …e6.

Is the Slav Defence good for beginners?

Yes — it is rated Beginner here, which means the moves follow from a handful of ideas rather than from memorised theory.

What are the plans after the Slav Defence?

White: Play a4 to stop …b5 before Black gets to keep the extra pawn. Black: Get the light-squared bishop outside the chain before playing …e6 — it's the whole point.

All chess openings

Slav Defence

D19 · Played as black · Beginner · Queen's Gambit

Defend d5 with the c-pawn and the problem bishop walks free

Also known as Slav, Czech Defence, Dutch Variation Slav.

The 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 Nbd7 9.Qe2 Bg6

Strategic ideas

Support d5 with …c6 instead of …e6 so the c8-bishop keeps its diagonal
Grab the c4-pawn and hold it with …b5 if White doesn't act quickly
Develop the bishop to f5 or g4 before closing the position with …e6
Reach a rock-solid structure that has almost no weaknesses to attack
Play the opening that stayed at the top of world championship matches for a century

Key themes

Solid — The c6/d5 pawn duo is one of the toughest structures in chess to break down
Positional — The game is a long structural fight over c4, e4 and the queenside majority
Piece Activity — Unlike the QGD, Black's light-squared bishop gets out before the pawns lock it in

Typical plans

The Slav answers the Queen's Gambit the same way the Caro-Kann answers 1.e4 — hold the centre with the c-pawn so the light-squared bishop stays free. That single difference from the Queen's Gambit Declined is why so many world champions have played it. Black can grab the c4-pawn and try to hold it with …b5, forcing White into the sharp a4 lines, or just develop solidly. The structure is famously tough: Black has no weaknesses, and White has to work extremely hard for anything.

Move by move

d4 — White claims the centre.
d5 — Black meets it symmetrically.
c4 — White offers the Queen's Gambit, challenging d5.
c6 — Black defends with the c-pawn. This is the Slav — and unlike the QGD's …e6, it leaves the c8-bishop's diagonal wide open.
Nf3 — White develops and controls e5.
Nf6 — Black develops and defends d5.
Nc3 — White develops and adds pressure to d5.
dxc4 — Black takes the pawn. It can't be held forever, but grabbing it forces White to spend time.
a4 — White stops …b5 immediately. This costs a tempo and permanently weakens b4 — but the alternative is Black keeping the pawn.
Bf5 — Black develops the bishop outside the pawn chain, the move the whole Slav is built around.
e3 — White shores up the centre and opens the bishop's path to c4.
e6 — Black now closes the diagonal — but only after the bishop is already out.
Bxc4 — White recovers the gambit pawn.
Bb4 — Black develops with tempo, using the b4 square that a4 conceded.
O-O — White castles, connecting the rooks.
Nbd7 — Black develops the knight to d7, keeping the position compact.
Qe2 — White lines the queen up on the e-file, preparing the e4 break.
Bg6 — Black tucks the bishop on g6, where it's safe from Nh4 tricks and still watching the b1–h7 diagonal. Black is solid, developed and has no weaknesses — the Slav doing its job.

Where the line leads

White's plans

Play a4 to stop …b5 before Black gets to keep the extra pawn
Aim for the e4 break — that's the only way to open the position against the c6/d5 wall
Use the extra central space to press; Black is solid but passive if left alone

Black's plans

Get the light-squared bishop outside the chain before playing …e6 — it's the whole point
Fight for c4 and the queenside dark squares with …b5 and …a6 when the timing allows
Break with …c5 or …e5 once developed to free the position completely

Slav Defence FAQ

What are the moves of the Slav Defence?: The Slav Defence (D19) runs 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4 8.O-O Nbd7 9.Qe2 Bg6. It is played from Black's side of the board.
What is the idea behind the Slav Defence?: Defend d5 with the c-pawn and the problem bishop walks free. In practice that means: Support d5 with …c6 instead of …e6 so the c8-bishop keeps its diagonal; Grab the c4-pawn and hold it with …b5 if White doesn't act quickly; Develop the bishop to f5 or g4 before closing the position with …e6.
Is the Slav Defence good for beginners?: Yes — it is rated Beginner here, which means the moves follow from a handful of ideas rather than from memorised theory.
What are the plans after the Slav Defence?: White: Play a4 to stop …b5 before Black gets to keep the extra pawn. Black: Get the light-squared bishop outside the chain before playing …e6 — it's the whole point.