Slav: 4.e3 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 Qc7
Slav: 4.e3 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 Qc7
Definition
This line is a branch of the Slav Defense that arises after the moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 Qc7. It combines ideas from the Exchange Slav and the Classical Slav. Black immediately develops the light-squared bishop before locking it in with …e6, then meets White’s queen sortie to b3 with the flexible …Qc7, protecting b7 and keeping options open for the queen and kingside development.
Move Order & Typical Position
The critical moves create the following structure:
- 1.d4 d5
- 2.c4 c6 – the Slav Defense
- 3.Nf3 Nf6
- 4.e3 Bf5 – Black develops the bishop outside the pawn chain.
- 5.cxd5 cxd5 – the Exchange structure arises.
- 6.Qb3 Qc7 – queens face each other on the c-file.
After 6…Qc7 the typical diagram (White to move) looks like this:
Strategic Themes
- Symmetrical pawn structure: Both sides possess an identical pawn skeleton on d5 & c6 vs. d4 & c4. Piece activity, not pawns, drives the battle.
- Early bishop development: By playing 4…Bf5 Black solves the traditional Slav problem of the c8-bishop, yet must watch for tempo-gaining Qb3 or Nc3-b5 ideas targeting b7 and d6.
- Queen placement: 6…Qc7 neutralises Qxb7 because the c7-queen defends b7 and indirectly pressures c4. It also clears d8 for a future rook or minor piece.
- Minor-piece skirmishes: White often chooses 7.Nc3, 7.Bd2, or 7.Nc3 e6 8.Bd2, trying to exploit the slightly loose bishop on f5 or seize the c-file. Black replies with …e6, …Nc6, and sometimes …Bd6 or …Be7.
Main Continuations
- 7.Nc3 a6 – The fashionable “slow” line. Black prepares …Nc6 without allowing Nb5. A common continuation runs 8.Bd2 e6 9.Rc1 Nc6 10.Na4 Nd7.
- 7.Nc3 e6 8.Bd2 – White keeps pieces on and eyes the minority attack (b2-b4-b5). Black may answer with …Nc6, …Be7, and rapid castling.
- 7.Nc3 e6 8.Nb5 Qb6 – A sharper line where the knight hops to b5, pressing d6 and c7. Black’s queen slide to b6 both defends and counter-hits d4.
Historical & Practical Significance
Although the pure Exchange Slav (4.cxd5) has been played since the 1920s, the specific “Bf5 & Qc7” branch became popular in the 1990s when players such as Boris Gelfand and Vladimir Kramnik required an elastic yet solid answer to 4.e3 systems. Modern engines confirm its robustness: Black scores close to 50 % at master level.
Illustrative Games
- Vladimir Kramnik – Boris Gelfand, Linares 1994
. Kramnik pressed on the queenside but could not break Gelfand’s dynamic defence; the game was drawn on move 48. - Ding Liren – Fabiano Caruana, Wijk aan Zee 2020 – Ding uncorked the aggressive 7.Nc3 e6 8.Nb5!?, but Caruana’s precise …Qb6 and …Na6 equalised and he later won in a rook ending.
Typical Plans
- For White
- Minority attack: b2-b4-b5 to fix c6 and create a weak pawn.
- Central expansion: Ne5, f2-f3, e3-e4 when Black delays …e6.
- Pressure on the f5-bishop with Nh4 or g2-g4 (less common but venomous).
- For Black
- Timely …e6 and …Bd6 or …Be7, preserving bishop pair harmony.
- Queenside counterplay with …a6, …Nc6, and sometimes …b5.
- Piece exchanges on the c-file to neutralise White’s slight space edge.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- The mirrored queens on c7 and b3 often remain for 15–20 moves, creating symmetrical photographs in chess magazines when the opening first gained traction.
- Engines once claimed that 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.Nxd5? lost a pawn to 8…Nxd5 9.Qxd5 e6!; however, human practice showed compensation for White, leading to fresh theoretical debates online.
- Because the line avoids mainline notebooms and Merans, it is a favourite of club players who want “Slav solidity” without learning hundreds of forcing variations.
Quick Reference
ECO code: D10
Alternate names: Slav Exchange, Bf5 Variation; Classical Slav with 4.e3
Key tabiya after move 6: