Chess Opening: Botvinnik Variation | Semi-Slav Defense

February 15, 2021 NHaselton Chess Lectures

Remote Chess AcademyMon, February 15, 2021 4:17pmURL:
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📥 Download the PGN of this opening here – https://bit.ly/3u2DR7y

The Semi-Slav Defense is a variation of the Queen’s Gambit chess opening defined by the position reached after the moves: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6.

Black is threatening to capture the white pawn on c4 and hold it with …b7–b5. White can avoid this in a number of ways. About 80% of games continue 5.Bg5 which constitutes a sharp pawn sacrifice.

The Botvinnik variation, which happens after 5…dxc4, is probably one of the most complicated of all chess openings, with theory stretching past move 30 in some variations. The opening was introduced by Mikhail Botvinnik in the 1945 USSR vs. USA radio match vs. Arnold Denker.

In this instructive video lesson, the RCA guest coach IM Mateusz Kolosowski explains sidelines in this Botvinnik variation and analyzes this most complicated opening variation overall.

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