Greetings All,

The endgame after 7.Qf3 Bg6 8.Bxf6 Qxf6 9.Qxf6 gxf6 is certainly better for White but it is extremely difficult to get a full point, I must admit. Moreover, if White is getting to relaxed with his advantage the things might easily get even worse – once I comfortably lost to Jonathan Parker in Hastings Challengers 1994. Then, some years later, in Polanica Zdroj 1997, I put my opponent, Miroslaw Grabarczyk, under serious pressure but he defended well and got half a point.

Nevertheless I believe that White can comfortably maintain a small advantage after 7. Qf3 but an extraordinary technique is required to win the game. However, let’s take a look at this line from Black’s point of view – you must really enjoy to keep defending to play this type of position, hoping to get not more than half a point.

As to the line 7. Qb3, it looks less attractive for White since Black has not only 7. ...Qb6, getting a similar endgame – such options as 7. ..b5 and 7. ..Nbd7 are also playable.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Ruslan

Hello!

You are trying to force a Slav player to play the Carlsbad structure (Exchange variation) just for nothing. It would be too simple, the way 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 is supposed to be harmless for Black and it is almost out of fashion. After 6. ..Bf5 7. Qb3 Qb6 Black is more or less OK but he may also think about 7. ..b5, for example, Evgeny Sveshnikov always prefers this move although in my opinion White should be able to get some advantage there, or even a tricky 7. ..Nbd7 and nothing is still clear in this sharp line.

Moreover, instead of 6. ..Bf5 a simple 6. ..Be7 is known to be solid enough. The Carlsbad structure without light-squared bishops after 7. e3 Bf5 8. Bd3 Bxd3 9. Qd3 is fine for Black while 7. Qc2 does not prevent Bc8-f5 since Black can continue 7. ..g6 (by the way, 7. ..Na6 is also quite good) and the line 8. e4 dxe4 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. Qe4 does not promise much for White. 

You would try to get Carlsbad structure by playing 5. Bg5, then in case of 5. ..Nbd7 continue 6. cxd5 exd5 7. e3 and so on but Cambridge players are ready to play Exchange variation. The problem is that you should be also ready to play such sharp Slav variations as Botvinnik 5. ..dxc4 or Moscow 5. ..h6, which true Slav player is going to play and you will never force them to play Carlsbad without any concessions, which usually limit your winning chances very much.

All the best,
Ruslan

We played 7.Qb3 Qb6 8.Qxb6 axb6 and then I wanted to continue 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.e3 hoping to cut off Black's bishop pair with Kd2 and Bd3. After that it should be better for White due to the smoother pawn structure.

Unfortunately I "saw" an even better variation starting with 9.Nh4, which is seen quite often in the Slav. My hope was to get the bishop pair on my own or at least to push away the active Bf5. But after 9..Ne4 10.Nxe4 Bxe4 11.f3 h6! it became clear that I misjudged the position. Black's Bishop stayed on the board and due to my misplaced Knight Black has no problems at all or may be even better.

Lately a friend told me that 8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.e3 should be slightly better for White because if Black exchanges Queens the open a-file will prove that the doubled b-pawn is less harmfull than Black's on the f-file.

I'm not sure about all that. Do you have any idea? ???

Perhaps you are right just to play a QGD and a minority attack what I normally do. Maybe I was surprised too much and wanted to get an early advantage because of Black's "strange" move what was not a good decision. In the post mortem my opponent said that he felt not comfortable with the QGD exchange variation and so chose this Bf5! q.e.d.

Hi all,

lately I played a game starting 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 Bf5

I was very surprised and eventually lost the game. Does anybody know how to get at least a small edge for white?