Solid Repertoire Against 1.d4 - Slav Defence - Part 2
IM Renato Quintillano has produced several amazing databases for Modern Chess, including his series on the Slav Defence.
His two previous databases covered all the sidelines, variations with 4.e3 and the Classical Slav main line 4...dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3, including all the possibilities White had along the way.
In his third, final database on the Slav IM Quintillano focuses on the highly important and critical tabiya which arises after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5
As Renato himself admits, he did not except this position to be THIS theoretically demanding and challenging. To quote the author: “If I had been told before that the whole database would be required in order to cover one position, I would laugh hard. But, the arising positions turned out to be so complicated and interesting!
I am very happy with the result of this research as I believe I've done a great job and now the readers can be very confident about the opening outcome and the arising middlegame positions.”.
The fact that the entire database is devoted to just one key position has a huge upside: the author had an opportunity to provide in-depth and in-width analysis and suggest several alternatives along the way.
For example, in the key position after 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4, he provides two solutions. Basically, the database is divided into two main parts, the first one being devoted to 7...Qc7, while the final part is covering the line 7...Nb6.
Renato describes the move 7...Qc7 as “This is an interesting and ambitious option aimed at exploiting the fact White spent a lot of time moving his knight around.
Now, Black is hoping to open the center up rather fast.”
The first chapter of this work covers White's rare possibilities on move 8 after 7...Qc7, such as 8.Bg5. 8.Qd2, 8.Ne3 and 8.f3.
To author's mind, it's very important to understand why those lines aren't best prior to moving on to the discussion of the mainlines.
In Chapter 2, we get a step closer to the critical position. Namely, now the very main move 8.g3 is discussed, and after the sequence 8...e5 9.dxe5 Nxe5 10.Bf4 Nfd7 we reach another crucial crossroads.
White's main move here is 11.Bg2, but in this chapter, IM Quintillano covers such moves as 11.Nxe5, 11.Qd4, 11.Qc1, 11.a5, etc.
Now, time to move on to the main lines.
The very main 11th move for White is 11.Bg2, and that's what is discussed in Chapters 3-5.
Renato provides the reader with a truly fabulous repertoire, since in Chapter 3 he suggests the solid option 11...f6, while chapters 4 and 5 discuss the main sharp line 11...g5!?
Specifically, Chapter 4 covers such variations as 12.Nxe5 and 12.Bxe5, while Chapter 5 focuses on the very central main line 12.Ne3!
Now that we have one sharp repertoire, it's time to learn more!
So, Chapter 6 opens the discussion of the move 7...Nb6, which is the more solid continuation.
As the author explains, the virtue of this move is that “ Instead of dynamic play, Black focuses on the more solid approach of developing the pieces safely and taking his chances in a complex strategic middlegame.”
In Chapter 6, such variations as 8.Ne3, 8.e3, and 8.Nxb6 are covered. The author clarifies that Black is totally fine, however, he does need to know a thing or two in order not to be caught off-guard.
Chapter 7 focuses on the very main move 8.Ne5, when after 8...a5! Renato covers another bunch of sidelines, such as 9.Bg5, 9.Rg1 and 9.h4.
All of these moves have been tried by the likes of Mamedyarov and Aronian, so we'd better be prepared!
In the 8th chapter, we get to the position after the main move 9.e3, when IM Quintillano gives two alternatives, namely 9...g6 and 9...Nbd7, while also explaining why such moves as 9...e6 and 9...Nfd7 are erroneous.
Finally, the 9th chapter gets us to the discussion of a very dangerous option 9.g3, which happens to be the second most popular move that Aronian, Tomashevsky, Ivanchuk and others love using.
Now, the main “meat” of the second part of the database is, by all means, Chapter 10, where the author focuses on the very mainline 9.f3! which happens to be White's main attempt at the theoretical advantage and has been discussed by literally all of world's elite players in their encounters.
In response to 9...Nfd7!, such moves as 10.Bf4, 10.Nd3, 10.e4 and 10.Nxd7 are covered (the latter being the main one).
Generally, in this database, just as in his previous works, the author goes in great depth explaining the strategic ideas and plans and offers us an amazing repertoire that will serve for a lifetime.
In order to supplement the theoretical research and ensure we remember all the key ideas, 20 tests are already suggested at the end of this database, where we get to check both our positional understanding and knowledge of typical tactical and positional ideas.
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