Chess Explained books provide an understanding of an opening and the middlegames to which it leads, enabling you to find the right moves and plans in your own games. It is as if you were sitting at the board with a chess coach answering your questions about the plans for both sides, the ideas behind particular moves, and what specific knowledge you need to have. The Main-Line Slav is one of the key battlegrounds of modern chess, with adherents among all levels of chess-players. It is notoriously difficult for White to prove any advantage against Black's solid set-up, while the lack of symmetry in the position provides scope for creative players to obtain winning chances with either colour. This book discusses all major lines following the moves 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 dxc4. There are many strategic directions the play can take: sometimes the centre is blasted open and piece-play dominates, while in other cases the centre becomes fixed, or remains dynamic well into the middlegame. Vigorito dissects the most important themes and nuances, placing them firmly in the context of the practical struggle, making sure that readers will be familiar with the resources at their disposal, and understand when to employ them.

The Semi-Slav, one of the most popular openings among the chess elite, is also one of the most popular chess openings that Black can play against 1.d4. This book provides expert guidance on how to play this exciting variation. The reader receives an exciting Black repertoire against 1.d4, and a choice of two lines against Whites main tries.

The Slav has been played by 11 of the first 13 World Champions, and is favored by many of the stars of modern chess, including Anand, Kramnik, and Shirov. This is the first English-language book to provide comprehensive coverage of the Slav, a vastly popular opening due to its extreme solidity and abundant possibilities for dynamic counterplay. The author provides detailed coverage to help players as both White and Black face the challenges of this tough, yet rewarding opening. All lines after 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 are discussed, except those that transpose to the Semi-Slav, with the sharpest tactical lines of the Slav receiving especially detailed coverage.

James Vigus presents a comprehensive and trustworthy repertoire for Black, and provides you with enough knowledge to play the Slav with confidence in your own games.

This is a brand new series which provides an ideal platform to study chess openings. By continually challenging the reader to answer probing questions throughout the book, Move by Move greatly encourages the learning and practising of vital skills just as much as the traditional assimilation of opening knowledge. Carefully selected questions and answers are designed to keep you actively involved, and allow you to monitor your progress as you learn. This is an excellent way to study any chess opening and at the same time improve your general opening skills and knowledge. In this book, Cyrus Lakdawala examines the universally popular Slav Defence which has been his main choice against 1 d4 for many years. Here he shares his experience and knowledge of his favourite opening, presents a repertoire for Black and provides answers to all the key questions.

The very closely linked Slav and Semi-Slav Defences are two of the most popular and combative openings that Black can play against the Queen's Gambit. They have provided the battleground for thousands of exciting encounters between the world's chess elite, including Garry Kasparov, Vishy Anand, Vladimir Kramnik, Alexei Shirov, and Alexander Morozevich. Players of all levels are attracted to the Slav and the Semi-Slav because they are solid, dependable defences that do, however, promise abundant possibilities for dynamic counterplay. In this easy-to-read guide, Grandmaster and openings expert Glenn Flear goes back to basics, studying the essential principles of the Slav and Semi-Slav Defences and their numerous variations. Throughout the book there are an abundance of notes, tips, and warnings to guide improving players, while key strategies, ideas, and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated. *User-friendly layout to help readers absorb ideas *Concentrates on the key principles of the Slav and Semi-Slav *Ideal for improving players

Grandmaster Repertoire 17 The Classical Slav provides a sound and active chess opening repertoire for Black based on 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4. White's early deviations from move 3 onwards are also covered. Boris Avrukh has had the Slav in his repertoire throughout his career and has never lost a serious game with it."

Glenn Flear presents a repertoire for Black based on the Semi-Slav Triangle. This includes the dynamic Abrahams-Noteboom Variation, as well as options for Black against the Marshall Gambit and White's quieter tries.

The Semi-Slav defence has been one of Black's most reliable defences to the queen's pawn since the 1920's. Now, it is fashionable both at grandmaster level and with club and tournament players. Here, Grandmaster Matthew Sadler explains the strategy and tactics of this dynamic opening. Through the use of model games for both sides, the author provides a thorough grounding in the key ideas.

Lars Schandorff's two volumes on 1.d4 were celebrated by reviewers and grandmasters. GM Simen Agdestein said: "I have recently been reading Lars Schandorff's Playing 1.d4 books, thinking that it cannot possibly get more instructive than this." Meanwhile, GM Boris Avrukh's verdict was simple: "Lars, I want to play your book." Now Schandorff switches sides and offers a top-class Semi-Slav repertoire against 1.d4. The Semi-Slav strikes the perfect balance of ambition and soundness, which has made it popular at every level up to and including the world championship. Black needs to know his stuff, but Schandorff is the ideal guide to make the learning process a pleasure.