I have generally played the Main Line Slav in the past. But, considering the fact that I'm really just starting my serious study of the Slav, I'm open to the possibility of new lines.

How likely is it that I might want to take up different lines against different openings by White? For instance, 4... ddxc4 vs. 1. d4 and 4... a6 vs. 1. Nf3, just to use some of the previous conversation as an example.

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 is a line to be aware of, but this is perhaps where tracke wants to play 3...Bg4 instead?

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Qc2, as BPaulsen says, and 4.Nc3, which is another possibility, could be very annoying or not annoying at all, depending on what Slav you play. If you like the Meran/Anti-Meran, you can safely play 4...e6, and White hardly has anything if he doesn't play d4 soon. If you play the ...a6 Slav, you can still play 4...a6, although play could take a slightly independent route. If you play the 4...dxc4 Slav, this move order could be very annoying.

BPaulsen wrote on 05/20/09 at 01:30:01:

As longtime caro/slav player I would like too add that "...c6/...d5/...Nf6, etc." is not as easy as it seems. Besides transpositions there are also move order problems, especially against flank openings. - First, most times playing ...Nf6 is not as important as playing ...Bf5/Bg4 and  as playing ...e6 (after ...Bf5/Bg4) to be able to recapture ...exd5 (or to have a choice between exd5 or cxd5 depending on exact position). Second, if White doesn´t challenge d5 with an early c4 (1.Nf3/2.g3 for example) it´s often better to omit ...c6 to gain time for ...Bf5/Bg4 and ...e6 (there are many interesting ideas in Palliser´s Beating Unusual Chess Openings). - The most important black aim in slav structures is getting Bc8 out and playing ...e6 before White can punish (or prevent) this tactically! Playing ...Nf6 can wait and playing ...c6 is only necessary against c4 (respectively e4). - Therefore 1 Nf3 d5! might be definitely better than 1...Nf6 for a stand-alone slav player though White in the latter case couldn´t stop ...c6/...d5 . Things are easier if black has further choices in his repertoire, for example slav and Grünfeld structures (like me). If white tries to move-order me into a minor slav structure then he gets a harmless anti-Grünfeld setup (or vice versa).
I took years for me to identify correct black move orders against all these sophisticated white move orders, but in many cases there´s a small but important difference between white keeping a very small pull or black getting full equality!

tracke 

PS: Similiar points could be made against Queen´s Pawn Opening (1d4 d5 2e3 Bf5!)

MNb wrote on 05/20/09 at 02:42:52:


Works for me. I do play the Caro-Kann.  

MNb wrote on 05/20/09 at 02:42:52:


Yes, I figured someone here might be able to help. It's been the case so far.  

BPaulsen wrote on 05/20/09 at 01:30:01:


This is only true if Black plays the Caro-Kann as well. Otherwise 1.c4 c6 2.e4 can be an unpleasant surprise. 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 c6 3.e4 meets with some problems as well.

Scott wrote on 05/20/09 at 01:20:44:


The easy answer is: ask here at this forum!

Scott wrote on 05/20/09 at 01:20:44:


Your amount of effort should depend on your repetoire.

A Slav player really doesn't have to know much of anything in the way of transpositions. He's going to play ...c6/...d5/...Nf6, etc. The Slav is pretty much playable against everything, and anti-Slav systems, while some being moderately effective, (ie: Gurevich anti-Slav, which I've come to realize is simply one of black's systems against the Colle reversed), aren't going to threaten the integrity of your repetoire. 

A QID player needs to be very aware, since 1.c4/1.Nf3 can lead to entirely distinct variations.

A person can carve out a really simplistic opening repetoire as black by going with the Caro-Kann/Slav. The only other opening as black aside from the Slav that black can get at will against all others than 1.e4 is the KID.