Semi-Slav Anti-Meran 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.Bd3[D45]-TWIC

TWIC 975
The 6.Qc2 Anti-Meran has taken over from 6.Bd3 Meran as white is not having much success in the main line Meran.

GM Wesley So won the feature game, but not because of the opening.

More About the Universiade,Kazan



So,W (2700) - Baryshpolets,A (2544)
Semi-Slav Anti-Meran 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.Bd3[D45]
Universiade Men 2013
Kazan RUS (4.2), 11.07.2013

Position 1
White has a key decision to make after black's 17...Bc7 novelty. What do you recommend for white?

White to Play

17...Bc7

Position 2
Black's queenside pawns are isolated but white's kingside pawn shield has also been compromised. What do you recommend for black?

Black to Play

22.Bd4

Semi-Slav Reynolds Attack 11.dxe6 fxe6 12.0–0 Qc7 [D48]-TWIC 951

TWIC 951
Playing against the Semi-Slav is like hitting your head into a brick wall. Now it's time for me to upgrade my line(The Meran) which I have not done for quite some time now.

So far I have been using the Reynolds Attack without really knowing what's going on. One idea worth looking into is the e-pawn sacrifice with 14.Ne2!?

More About Taganrog RUS 
The city of Taganrog is the leading industrial center of the Rostov region. The hometown of Chekhov.



Khismatullin,D (2652) - Smirnov,P (2610)
Semi-Slav Meran Reynolds Attack 11.dxe6 fxe6 12.0–0 Qc7 [D48]
Dvorkovich Mem 2013 

Taganrog RUS (8.2), 22.01.2013

Position 1
The position of interest arises after 13...c4. This is a typical position from the Reynolds Attack. White tried the e-pawn gambit 14.Ne2!? after which black replied 14...Bd6, fighting for the dark squares.

White to Play

13...c4

Position 2
White has the bishop pair while black's minor pieces are actively placed in the center. What do you recommend for white?

Black to Play

24.Bd3

Semi-Slav Anti-Moscow Gambit 9.e5[D43]-TWIC 966

TWIC 966
The quick e5 wedge was nothing special against 9..Nd5. The Nd2-e4 followup was ineffective against Black's creative defence.

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Video Footage from the XIV European Individual Chess Championship in Legnica, Poland. More on Chess-News.ru

Babula,V (2591) - Vallejo Pons,F (2695)

Semi-Slav Anti-Moscow Gambit 9.e5[D43]

14th Euro Indiv 2013 Legnica POL (3.24), 07.05.2013

Position 1
White plans Bf2 to fight against the queenside majority. What do you recommend for black now?

Black to Play

31.f3

Semi-Slav Anti-Meran 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.Bd3[D45]-TWIC 970

TWIC 970

The 6.Qc2 Anti-Meran is now a main try against the rock solid Semi-Slav Defence.

Ibragimov,I (2571) - Shinkevich,V (2478)
Semi-Slav Anti-Meran 6.Qc2 Bd6[D45]
35th Nezhmetdinov Cup Kazan RUS (8.11), 07.06.2013

More About Kazan

Position 1

White has a structural advantage but black has the bishop pair. What do you recommend for white?

White to Play

16...gf

Semi-Slav 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.Bd3 [D45]-TWIC 964

TWIC 964
The 6.Qc2 Anti-Meran has taken over as the main try against the solid Semi-Slav. GM Wojtaszek won a sharp ending in the TCh-CZE rd8 after reaching an equal position with some creative play.

More on Wojtaszek

Here is the feature game.

Wojtaszek,R (2734) - Krejci,Jan (2529)

Semi-Slav 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.Bd3 [D45]

TCh-CZE Extraliga 2012–13 Czech Republic CZE (8.2), 24.03.2013

Position 1
The position is sharp with white's bishop pair and mobile kingside pawns giving some hopes for an advantage. What do you recommend for white?

White to Play

31...Ba8

Anti-Moscow Gambit 9.Be2 Bb7 10.0-0(D43)-TWIC 955

TWIC 955

GM Dreev analyzed the Anti-Moscow Gambit deeply in The Moscow and Anti-Moscow Gambit(Chess Stars 2010) but inevitably new paths have been discovered. 14...b4 (instead of Dreev's 2010 repertoire proposal 14...e5) looks like a good equalizer in the complex Anti-Moscow Gambit.

So,W (2684) - Andersen,Mad (2462) 
Semi-Slav Anti-Moscow Gambit 9.Be2 Bb7 10.0-0[D43]
Reykjavik Open 2013 Reykjavik ISL (3.5), 20.02.2013

Position 1
Black has played well and has an even ending where piece activity compensates fully for the broken queenside pawns. What do you suggest for black now?

Black to Play

34.f3

Position 2

White has been pushing hard but the ending is still even with the passed a-pawn giving black enough counterplay for the 2 pawn deficit. What do you recommend for black now?

Black to Play

50.Rxf4

Semi-Slav Triangle 4.e4 Bb4-TWIC 960

TWIC 960

GM Cheparinov,I obtained a better ending based on healthier structure and then converted the RB-RB ending in model fashion.

22.Bxf4

Black continued with 22...Ne5! and forced simplification to negate the bishop pair.

Here is the feature game.

Indjic,A (2502) - Cheparinov,I (2706) 
Triangle 4.e4 Bb4[D31]
Karpos Open 2013 Skopje MKD (6.15), 13.03.2013

Position 1

Black is clearly in control with the centralized king and passed f-pawn ready to advance. What do you recommend for black now?

Black to Play

40.Kd3