Inspired by Watson's old monograph on this gambit and the closely-related 4.Nc3 versus the QGA, I played the Tolusch-Geller with 6.e5 and 7.a4 for quite some time, but I finally gave it up because I became convinced that White doesn't get quite enough compensation.  He may have just enough to draw, but big wup.  

Besides Vigorito's book there are others that treat this gambit in some detail.  It's given a good treatment by Donaldson and Silman in one of their old Slav books.  There is not much new in the main lines, because the big boys gave up on this gambit a long time ago.

Nowadays when I want to insist on gambit play against the Slav I play 6.Qc2, which is less theoretical and much more confusing to players of the black pieces.  I believe that Vigorito calls this the "Spassky Gambit" or something.  He calls it "feeble," but I'm not convinced.  A similar approach is 6.Be2.  Regardless of what the books say, it's not so easy for Black if White forgets about theory and simply plays chess a pawn down, with pawns on d4 and e4.  Relative to this approach, 6.e5 has the disadvantage of forcing Black to play theoretically best, but not very hard to remember, moves.

Either way White will score very well at the club level, but if you play in the Open section of your weekend Swiss event, I would recommend either 6.Qc2 or saving the Tolusch-Geller for a surprise weapon.  If you do the former, you should bone up on the Anti-Moscow Gambit, into which play very often transposes.  It might be worth looking also at Korchnoi's 5.Ne5 b5 6.g3, another interesting attempt for gambit-style play against the Slav.

Looking back I see that I have somewhat repeated myself, but since you bumped the thread, I was trying to help.  I mean, what do you expect, detailed analysis?

miamisharks wrote on 06/07/09 at 02:38:08:


Pert has a TWIC theory article. 

Personally, have looked long and hard at the Vitiugov-Amonatov game to find something for white. Failed. Back to 5. a4.

i love it as Black! Sharp positions and white has to risk everything to avoid a lost ending. You have to avoid a few things as black, but if you know it, it's lot of fun and my score is great after a couple of lost games at the beginning of my slav career. Look at the Vigus "Play the slav", it covers it pretty good.

It seems that there hasn't been a NIC yearbook article on it in the last 19 years or more.  Pretty impressive.

For what it's worth, ECO (2004) has four columns (ending as unclear, with compensation, or equal) and 18 notes on it.  A few of the cited games are from the 2000s, though most appear to be from the 1980s or before.

Thanks Smyslov fan.

Where did you study Geller/Korchnoi/Kasparov/Yermo games in this line? Books, or databases?

Ok, I'll try another angle. What do you Slav players find in your books against this line? How do you feel about the objective evaluation? Are all the books you use exclusively useful for black in this line, or do some of them recommend interesting ideas for white?