Courses (33)
Triangle Slav for Black - Part 2
When GM Valery Kazakouski and GM Pier Luigi Basso released Triangle Slav for Black - Part 1, they armed club players and professionals alike with the Marshall Gambit and the Noteboom—two aggressive systems where Black seizes the initiative from the opening moves. Now comes the natural question: what happens when White declines the confrontation? When they choose e3 instead of accepting complications, when they opt for Catalan structures or other "quiet" setups hoping to neutralize Black's ambitions?
Triangle Slav for Black - Part 2 answers this question with a bold proposition: transform these supposedly calm positions into a superior version of the Stonewall structure. The key insight is simple yet profound—by reaching the f7-f5 structure through the Triangle Slav move order, Black obtains a Stonewall where White's pawn is already committed to e3. This seemingly small detail fundamentally alters the character of the position. Where traditional Stonewall setups often struggle against White's space advantage and piece pressure, this version gives Black cleaner development, better piece coordination, and genuine winning chances.
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4 hours and 26 mins PGN Download Memory Booster Interactive Tests Video Content
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Practical 1.d4 Repertoire According to Dhopade - Slav, Semi-Slav, and QGA
When facing 1...d5, White players often find themselves juggling multiple repertoires—one system for the Queen's Gambit Declined, another for the Slav, yet another for the Semi-Slav. GM Swapnil Dhopade's latest course offers something different: a coherent strategic framework that treats these Black defenses not as separate entities requiring distinct preparation, but as variations of a single narrative. By employing g3-setups across the board, Dhopade creates what might be called a "Catalan philosophy" even in positions where Black has committed to ...c6—bringing the benefits of the fianchetto's long-term positional pressure to structures traditionally associated with sharper theoretical battles.
Sequence: Practical 1.d4 Repertoire According to Dhopade »
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2h and 25min PGN Download Memory Booster Interactive Tests Video Content
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Triangle Slav for Black - Part 1
This first volume of Triangle Slav for Black by GM Valery Kazakouski and GM Pier Luigi Basso focuses on the system's sharpest variations: the Marshall Gambit (4.e4 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Qxd4) and the Noteboom Variation (4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4 Bb4). These aren't positional abstractions; they're practical battlegrounds where precise calculation matters more than general plans.
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3h and 54min PGN Download Memory Booster Interactive Tests Video Content
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Armed against the Slav Defense
When GM Efstratios Grivas prepared for the 2008 Corus tournament in Wijk aan Zee, he faced a familiar dilemma: how to meet the Slav Defense without drowning in the theoretical quicksand that swallows hours of preparation?
His solution — the modest 4.Nbd2 — delivered instantly, scoring a critical win against German GM Arik Braun.
Nearly two decades later, with adoption by Carlsen, Mamedyarov, Nakamura, Aronian, and Giri, this “sideline” has quietly evolved into a serious weapon.
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4h and 16min PGN Download Video Content
Semi-Slav Defense According to Dreev
When Alexey Dreev first adopted the Semi-Slav as a young Soviet master in the mid-1980s, the opening was respected but predictable. Forty years later, having played it through every phase of modern chess—from Soviet training halls to the engine era—Dreev has transformed his relationship with 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 from passive study into active co-authorship.
This new course, created together with GM Pier Luigi Basso, represents not just a repertoire but a living record of how the Semi-Slav has evolved—and how the two authors have shaped that evolution over the past decade.
Sequence: Semi-Slav Defense According to Dreev »
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5 hours and 18 mins PGN Download Memory Booster Interactive Tests Video Content
1.d4 According to Lucas van Foreest - Beat the Semi-Slav Defense
The Semi-Slav Defense presents one of Black's most solid and theoretically demanding responses to 1.d4. This course tackles it head-on with the Catalan-style approach using 5.g3, offering White concrete advantages in positions where Black traditionally finds comfortable play.
Van Foreest's method is characteristically direct: "We play the toughest lines — the ones Black hates to face, system after system." The g3 setup against the Semi-Slav creates practical problems for Black while maintaining White's opening initiative.
Sequence: 3h and 2min »
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3h and 2min PGN Download Memory Booster Interactive Tests Video Content
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Slav Defense According to Jobava
For years, one name struck fear into the hearts of 1.d4 players worldwide: GM Baadur Jobava. His secret weapon? A revolutionary approach to the Classical Slav Defense featuring the audacious 5...a5 that left even the world's elite scrambling for answers. Today, Modern Chess proudly presents Slav Defense According to Jobava, where the Georgian genius himself reveals the preparation that shaped his legendary career.
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2h and 53min PGN Download Memory Booster Interactive Tests Video Content
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1.d4 According to Lucas Van Foreest - Exchange Slav for White
We are excited to introduce the first course from the new series "1.d4 According to Lucas Van Foreest", created by GM Lucas van Foreest and GM Pier Luigi Basso.
This series is built around a single powerful idea – to select the most annoying and practically difficult lines for Black. If you're a 1.d4 player who wants to squeeze your opponents out of comfort, this is the repertoire you've been waiting for.
Sequence: 1.d4 According to Lucas Van Foreest »
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3h and 58min Memory Booster Interactive Tests Video Content
The Unexplored Schlechter Slav
What if we told you there's an opening system that has been battle-tested at the World Championship level for over a century, yet remains virtually unexplored by modern players? Enter the Schlechter Defense – a strategic masterpiece that combines rock-solid foundations with hidden tactical depths.
Named after Carl Schlechter, who used it in his legendary 1910 World Championship match against Emanuel Lasker, this opening has quietly stood the test of time as one of chess's most resilient and underestimated systems against 1.d4.
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2h and 19min PGN Download Memory Booster Interactive Tests Video Content
The Easiest Semi-Slav Defense
The Semi-Slav Defense is a powerful and flexible weapon for Black against 1.d4. With its rich strategic depth and dynamic counterattacking potential, it has long been a favorite of elite players seeking to play for a win. In this course, IM Kushager Krishnater presents a complete and practical repertoire for Black built around the Semi-Slav setup:
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 (or via other transpositions).
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3 hours and 16 mins PGN Download Memory Booster Interactive Tests Video Content