There were two games in the Informant 100 with the Schlechter Slav; don't remember exactly, but I think it was Gelfand-Kamsky and Garlsen-Bu Xiangxhi. .5-.5 and 1-0, by the way - both times White was slightly better out of the opening. In a previous post, LeeRoth covered the endgame of the second game.

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 03/18/08 at 05:33:57:

Surely the point was more that there is some other reason other than 4...g6 why 4.e3 is less popular via the 3.Nf3 than via the 3.Nc3 move order?! Because looking in my database the most common move is 5.Nf3/Nc3 (whichever has not been played, yet) and white scores very well.

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 03/17/08 at 04:02:23:


I'm not clear here.  Were these all games which reached a particular Schlechter position (which?), but in one group via 3. Nf3 and in the other via 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3?   

I just ran two separate database studies.  The first was with the move order given (3.Nf3).  White scores a respectable 56% in games between players over 2300 since 1990.  Yet this position is not very popular and very few players over 2600 have played this.  Only 251 games have occurred here.  World Champions (including Smyslov) have played the Black side of this!

The second search was much more interesting.  I had White play 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3.  This time, even Kasparov has played the position, it was played 427 times with White scoring 64% (and gaining rating points, too).

I don't know quite why 3.Nc3 is so much more popular and successful, but I don't think this is a coincidence.  I'm going to have do much more work to figure out what I've found.

The secret to success in this variation is to know the theory (looking at the above games in my head, your opponents seemed to know the theory). Looking at Bareev-Kramnik, Novgorod 1996 is a good starting point for learning how to play White. ECO is a good book for getting some ideas as to how to play as White in this variation, but don't take their assessments as being the final word.

See, this is my logic......

In the past some strong players (Kramnik, Bareev) played this line from black side. Now nobody plays. If the line is so drawish, why did Kramnik not play it against Topalov is so may cases when he needed a draw ? That means black is in some trouble for sure !

Can anybody help me in uncovering the secret to White success ?

Saubhikr,

After ..g6, play transposes to the Closed Gruenfeld (D94).  In this variation, the middlegame play tends to be of the subtle, positional type.  As White, you want to do a bit of patient maneuvering with the aim of reaching a favorable ending.  If this doesn't fit your style or if your endgame skills aren't up to the task, then you might do better with another variation.  

Here is a little test to help you decide: 



White to move.  OK, now, first impression -- quick look without using a database or an engine -- what do you think of this position?

[scroll down for answer]


















If you look at this position and your initial instinct is to think that its boring or equal, then perhaps a different variation is in order.  (No worries, that would have been my first inclination too!).  But if this sort of position causes you to start salivating at the prospect of a win, then you should have no problem with 4.e3 g6.   

Indeed, despite the limited amount of material and the opposite colored bishops, a close look reveals that White is significantly better here.  His bishop is much stronger than its Black counterpart, and the pawns on e4 and f7 are subject to attack.  Magnus Carlsen went on to win this position in instructive fashion as White against Bu Xiangzhi, Biel 2007.  

From the diagram, play continued:  32. Bb3 b6  33. Rd7  (forcing the black rook to a passive position on f8 -- I love how Magnus improves his position before rounding up the e4 pawn)  33... Rf8 34. g4 g5 35. Rb7 Bc5  36. Bd5 Kg7 37. Kf1 h6 38. Ke2 Kf6 39. a4 Kg7  40. Rc7 Bb4 41. Bxe4 (finally) Rd8 42. Bd3 Kf8 43. Rb7 Rd6 44. Bc4 Rf6 45. Bd5 Be7 46. f3 Bb4 47. Kd3 Be1 48. Ke4 Bg3 49. Bc4 Be1 50. f4 gxf4 51. exf4 Bg3 52. f5 Be1 53. Bd5 Kg7 54. Kd4 h5 55. Kc4 hxg4 56. hxg4 Bf2 57. Be6 Be3 58. Kd5 Kf8 59. Ke5 Kg7 60. Ke4 Bd2 61. Kd3 Bf4 62. Kc4 Kf8 63. Bd5 Be3 64. Kb5 Kg7 65. Be6 Kf8 66. Bc4 Bf2 67. Bd5 Kg7 68. Bc6 Kh6 69. Rxb6 (this is a typical idea in these endings, the superior side offers to sack the exchange in order to get a passed pawn) 69..Kg5 70. a5 Rd6  71. Rb7 Kxg4 72. Rxf7 Kg5 73. Rd7 Rh6 74. Be4 Rh8 75. a6 Rb8+ 76. Kc4 Kf4 77. Re7 Rc8+ 78. Kd3 Rd8+ 79. Ke2 Bd4 80. Bd3 Bc5 81. Re6 Rh8 82. f6 Rh2+ 83. Kd1 Rh6 84. f7 1-0

Bravo!



 

I play e3 variation against slav and have a decent position. But some opponents here are playing a g6 line against it which I am not being able to break. Trying too hard, I made blunders and in fact lost two drawn games. 

So, came to you for help !. Can you propose the best play for white ?

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O dxc4 8. Bxc4
Bg4 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 Nbd7 11. Rd1 e5 12. d5 e4 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. Qxe4 Nb6
15. Bb3 cxd5 16. Bxd5 Nxd5 17. Rxd5 Qb6 18. Qd3 Rfd8 19. e4 Bd4 20. Be3 Rxd5
21. exd5 Bxe3 22. fxe3 Qxb2 23. Rb1 Qxa2 24. Rxb7 Qa1+ 25. Rb1 Qe5 26. d6 Rd8
27. d7 Qc7 28. Rd1 a5 29. Qd4 Qc6 30. g4 Qf3 31. Rc1 Qg3+ 32. Kf1 Qxh3+ 33. Ke2
Qg2+ 34. Kd3 Qb7 35. Rc8 Rxc8 36. d8=Q+ Rxd8 37. Qxd8+ Kg7 38. g5 Qb1+ 39. Ke2
Qb2+ 40. Kf3 a4 0-1

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O Bg4 8. h3
Bxf3 9. Qxf3 dxc4 10. Bxc4 Nbd7 11. Rd1 e5 12. d5 e4 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. Qxe4 Nb6
15. Bb3 Re8 16. Qf3 cxd5 17. Bxd5 Nxd5 18. Rxd5 Qc7 19. Qe2 Rad8 20. Rxd8 Rxd8
21. Rb1 Qd6 22. f4 b6 23. Kf2 Qd5 24. b4 Qd1 25. Qc4 b5 26. Qc7 Bf6 27. Rb3
Bh4+ 28. g3 Bf6 29. Qc6 Kg7 30. Rb1 Rd3 31. Rb3 Rd5 32. a3 Qh1 33. e4 Qxe4 34.
Re3 Rd2+ 35. Bxd2 Qxc6 36. h4 Bd4 0-1

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O dxc4 8. Bxc4
Bg4 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 Nbd7 11. Rd1 e5 12. d5 e4 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. Qxe4 Nb6
15. Bb3 cxd5 16. Bxd5 Nxd5 17. Qxd5 Qxd5 18. Rxd5 Rad8 19. Rd2 Rc8 20. Kf1 Rc6
21. Ke2 Rfc8 22. Kd1 Ra6 23. a3 Rb6 24. Rb1 Rb3 25. Rc2 Rd8+ 26. Bd2 a5 27. Ke2
a4 28. Ba5 Ra8 29. Bb4 Bf6 30. g3 h5 31. h4 Be5 32. Kf3 Rd8 33. Ke2 Re8 34. Kd2
Rd8+ 35. Kc1 Bf6 36. Rc4 Rbd3 37. Kc2 R3d5 38. Re1 Be5 39. Re2 f5 40. Bc3 b5
41. Rc6 R8d6 42. Rxd6 Bxd6 43. Rd2 Rxd2+ 44. Kxd2 Kf7 45. Kd3 Bc5 46. Bb4 Bb6
47. Bc3 Ke6 48. Bd4 Bc7 49. e4 f4 50. gxf4 Bxf4 51. Ke2 Bd6 52. Kf3 Bc7 53. Kg2
Bd6 54. f3 1/2-1/2