Chess Basics #43: The Queen's gambit declined - Slav and Semi-Slav defenses

[@slowBeat]

These videos are a great overview. Been playing seriously for almost a year, and it's great to have an overview of the various openings! Great job!

[@thomasrowley6643]

Many thanks Jim for a very clear explanation of the Queen's gambit openings. I am having a lot of fun playing them, and using the ideas expressing in your videos. Your presentations have helped me a lot in better understanding the lines of thinking that underly the Queen's gambit opening.

[@sanitary103]

thank you for these videos. I still have to go through all your other videos on the queens gambit but I appreciate all the help. for the life of me, that simple pawn to a4 will most certainly help. in a lot of my games, I would not move there and my opponent would hold onto dear life for the captured c4 pawn with his own pawns and I would have a very hard time getting it back.

[@koenpalstermans9180]

Again a great video that helps a lot to make us, amateurs, understand the philosophy behind the openings a bit better.

[@oppy538]

thanks for this. been playing a lot of d4 lately. very helpful

[@rizka7945]

Just something to notice at 20:09. Black needs to recapture with the pawn if he wants to recapture. Taking with the queen (Qxf6) fails horribly as Bg5 traps her majesty. These videos are terrific. Thank you a lot!

[@JimsChessChannel]

Yes, quite right! and thanks!

[@razz8367]

Again, great videos. One thing, though. Why do you cover all the opening sytems from whites perspective? It would be nice to cover blacks opening systems from blacks perspective. Sure, you can kind of figure it out from good lines and moves to play from this, but you don't get the same fundamental understanding. Could you do some videos for black?

[@genctasbasi]

Checking some GM games, I personally think a4 is a waste of time for White. Black's b5 isn't really a threat as it cannot hold on to the pawn that long. The more effort Black shows to hold on to the pawn, the worse position it goes into, up to +1.5 according to the StockFish. Just my two cents.

[@JimsChessChannel]

If you are talking about the position at 6:16, then you are basically right. The best move there is 4. e3, putting pressure on the c pawn. But 4. a4 is playable as well, and as I said it gets you to a consistent position with some of the other lines, and keeps an edge for white.

[@genctasbasi]

Thanks Jim. Big fan of the videos by the way, thanks again.

[@liquiddabs4850]

what happens if, d4, d5. c4, c6. kf3, pxc4. e3, bf5. kc3, be6? the bishop forces your kc3, and can no longer pivot to a3 without wasting moves.

[@JimsChessChannel]

In that line, after Bf5, white can just take on c4 with Bxc4, Nc3 isn't forced.

[@liquiddabs4850]

oh yeah wow, im dumb lol #stoner moment. hey do you have a video on positions that warrent queen-side castle?

[@liquiddabs4850]

wait no i found it, 7:10 you said after bishop to f6, kc3. i suppose i could bxc4, let his bishop take b1, and rxb1.

[@JimsChessChannel]

I see, thanks for the question! In that position, if black plays Be6, you can play Ne5, and round up the pawn that way. In more detail, we are talking about the position after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Bf3 dxc4 4. a4 Nf6 5. e3 Bf5 6. Nc3. In the video I mention that 5 ... Be6 is met by 6. Na3 to round up the pawn. But the question is what if black plays 5 ... Bf5 and after 6. Nc3 then plays 6 ... Be6? And the answer is that white can still round up the pawn, this time using the other knight, by playing 7. Ne5.

[@liquiddabs4850]

thanks :]

[@karthikbhat858]

can you please make a video of how to play against grunfeld defense with white. I am finding it difficult to play against it. I don't want to play antigrunfeld opening

[@JimsChessChannel]

I plan to do that, but it might be a while before I get to it. I like to play one of the main lines as white: Just take the pawn on d5, play e4 to kick the knight, and then follow up with Bc4 and Ne2. It's not too hard to play, just look out for tactics on the long diagonal, and try to get the rook off of a1 quickly.

[@thomas-jx4ok]

What if white, on his third move, takes on d5 with his pawn before moving out his knight?

[@JimsChessChannel]

+thomas That's a playable move, but black just takes back, and doesn't have any particular problems. White has an extra center pawn, but black gets open lines for his bishops, and the position seems to be fairly balanced.

[@poonamhande11]

You speak quite back n forth... Jumbling all strategies... Thumbs down to you.... Sorry