fling wrote on 07/24/11 at 12:10:18:


The main line Slav is hardly exciting, either (well, unless black plays the Morozevich Slav, but that's black's decision - not white's). If white's going to get a position that is just "pleasant" (that's all he gets in the Sokolov Slav, too) then he might as well just use the easier method and dedicate his time and resources to finding innovations elsewhere.

I am intrigued by BPaulsen's comment about the Sokolov line; I've had a glance through some recent games in the 7...Nb6 line (using Chessbase online database) and can't see that Black is suffering especially anywhere. In fact Black seems to be doing quite well, or so it seemed to me.
Could anyone give me a clue as to the 'simple' variation which might be tripping Black up of late? 
Thanks in advance.

Smyslov_Fan wrote on 07/24/11 at 03:59:41:


It's no big deal, maybe I'm wrong about most people knowing what I'm talking about or perhaps I'm just too lazy to find out. Who knows? Who cares?

You know what I'm talking about now, it's all good, we're on the same page. There's no point in worrying about minor stuff, so don't be too hard on yourself. The names don't matter if you've been playing it anyway.

If I'm going technical then the Morozevich is Qc7+e5+g5 but I don't feel like being particularly nuanced, nor does the naming matter when most people know what I'm referring to. 

I'm not concerned with giving proper credit to whomever played something first, because otherwise we'd be calling Hedgehogs "Paulsen Defenses" (that was actually what Nimzowitsch called it in Chess Praxis), and obviously nobody would know what I was talking about if I did that.

Most people do know what I mean when I say Morozevich and Sokolov Slavs, and that's enough for me.

slates wrote on 07/23/11 at 21:09:41:


a6 Slav is another solid choice, I wouldn't rate it as highly as the main line Slavs, but any problems it does have are very minor. A lot of times the "+=" I've seen claimed in critical variations is an incredibly small one at best, so black's always playable. If you like the positions, then play it.

The Slow Slav is enough to keep me away from using the Slav myself, enough so that I actually use it in Reverse against the London (1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. c3 Nh5!?), but that's a matter of taste. White's results aren't so much because his position is outstanding, it's just that it's really easy to play whereas black is the one under pressure to make sure any potential white advantages are neutralized.

Anyway, re: Tartakower Defense, I don't think black ever is really that passive unless he chooses to keep more material on the board and forsakes equalizing earlier. Even then, he's not that passive. In the Lasker black isn't that passive either - he doesn't have great counterplay, but he's just putting his pieces on good squares, simplifying, and equalizing by virtue of his bulletproof position. Lasker is very dry in comparison to the Tartakower where some dynamics usually remain to be played out.

@Smyslov Fan: Morozevich Slav uses Qc7+e5, Sokolov Nb6+a5.

BPaulsen wrote on 07/23/11 at 19:10:03:

I know, I'm not that good with names.

But I play the Slav fairly regularly and I don't know what these variations are. I know of several innovations Morozevich has made, especially in the lines that go: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nc4, but I don't know which ones are called the "Morozevich" Slav.

I have even less idea what the Sokolov Slav is. Is it the line, 7....Nb6 because he played it so often?

I know that if I have questions about these names there are others who have even less clue about that.

The only reason I can figure for the Slav's perceived dip in popularity of late is the ongoing popularity of the Slow Slav (which makes it incredibly difficult for black to aim for more than a draw), the Morozevich Slav not exactly being in great shape, and the Sokolov Slav white's been using a ridiculously simple variation of late and obtaining pleasant (albeit not that ambitious) play.

Compare that with the QGD where the equality black's been getting has been absolute of late.

As usual it's likely just a fashion thing.