The Slav Defense: Bf5 Common Opening Mistake Bf5

Check out Ben's Chessable courses here! www.chessable.... GM Ben Finegold discusses the common Bf5 mistake in the Slav Defense. The Slav Defense is one of the primary defenses to the Queen's Gambit. This lecture was recorded June 9, 2021, at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Atlanta (CCSCATL) in Roswell, Georgia.
REUPLOAD FOR CHANNEL CONSOLIDATION: Originally posted on the CCSCATL Channel June 9th, 2021.
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Intro and concluding music: “Da Jazz Blues,” by Doug Maxwell;
• Da Jazz Blues - Doug M...
Thank you Doug!
#benfinegold #chessopenings #slavdefense

[@jacobhall6741]

"I thought his resignation was premature, but the engine was like nah, that's good resignation" 😂

[@krehera]

I wish it was more common for GMs to cover this style of material. "Opening mistakes and how to punish them" is a series I would LOVE to see!

[@xtaf82]

I literally just played the Slav and played Bf5, and get destroyed for it. Hilariously enough this video popped up in the search. Thanks for the vid, I definitely needed it :)

[@supitsgarrett]

the "mainly etcetera" joke is so ingrained in Ben's head that he dropped it without even saying etcetera

[@Mr5022840]

Thanks ben....need lectures like this....especially on openings

[@matthewbryson3243]

Great video! I’m learning this opening for the black pieces as a beginner. Thank you!

[@Gabagandalf1607]

Hey Ben, about 3 Years ago your Videos on the Saint Louis Chess Club Channel started my Interest in Chess now 3 Years later your Videos still teach me new interesting Chess basics! I appreciate your work and want to say thanks!

[@bloodcake1337]

omg thank you, I cant watch these 2h lessons on 1 opening and watching 5x >10min videos is so much more enjoyable for learning

[@Ekid33]

I just lost a classical game in a chess tournament after playing 4. ... Bf5, 5. Qb3 b6, no joke. I know why I'm being recommended this video. But I feel personally attacked by KZbin's algorithm.

[@ALTTABINMAINMENU]

a6-Slav is not Chelaybinsk (which is a city in Russia) it's Chebanenko (who is a player) :D I believe it's also called Chameleon variation.

[@FredPlanatia]

Chebanenko was an interesting player. Often looking for unusual/surprising lines to surprise his opponents.

[@alexchen5445]

Thanks Ben! Played into a Caro Kann today that had a similar pawn structure and won the game.

[@FarmgateCottage]

useful transposition from anti Colle roar

[@rolandoorro1741]

Thank you GM

[@ribbonsofnight]

Perhaps this will be useful for when I'm 2 moves out of my prep. and wondering what to do.

[@dartplayer170]

Can you explain to me why anyone would play the Slav Defense? The reason generally given is that unlike the QGD, the bishop is not blocked in by e6 and can play ex: Bf5. But you have just shown that Bf5 is incorrect. 2...c6 blocks the normal developing square of the knight, hence black cannot develop with NC6 and therefore loses 1/2 tempi. So where is the compensation for black to losing this 1/2 tempi? Since databases, opening theory and engines all agree that the Slav Defense is a mainline opening, there must be some compensation that I don;t understand. Please explain!

[@tellahsage6477]

You can play Bf5, just not that early.

[@cnydo]

The c6 is very solid against Catalan bishop

[@adc7071]

because black eventually takes the pawn on c5 (in the main line, not the semi slav) and that pawn defends the b3 square so you stop them from playing Qb3. then you can develop the bishop to f5 because white can’t exploit the weakness on b2 anymore. also, it prepares b5 to try to hold on to the pawn in some lines. basically you have to delay Bf5 but you can still play it

[@abhinandanbanerjee5471]

I have literally won hundreds of games with Qb3 after Bf5. Why did you ruin this Ben?

[@mathewraftery3328]

We may not have good dental hygiene but we definitely are right when it comes to spelling defence, no hard feelings though, my favourite GM

[@javochess]

Good! Thank you!

[@darkrush908]

Great info ben! Thanks for this video! Its great! I think your microphone is slightly picking up the noise from your hands hitting the desk though. It gives an occasional thud, i thought it was coming from my own apartment at first lmao.

[@yonatanshenhav1208]

as a player who plays Slav as black all the time, i appreciated this video. especially liked the e4 analysis, which i rarely see (im only 2140 on Lichess)

[@jaconova]

"only"

[@camerondavis6607]

@@jaconova probably 2140 rapid which isnt great

[@thijsbeentjes4008]

I never knew you're supposed to take first and then play Qb3, i always play Qb3 first and then after Qb6 i play Qxb6 (which apparently is wrong as well, you're supposed to play c5) then usually it goes like axb6 cxd5 cxd5 (black is supposed to play Nxd5 instead of cxd5 but rarely does in my experience) e3, I try bring the bishop out with check and castle and am equal or slightly better.

[@armwrestlingfan6804]

thank you for doing an opening on my ancestors. squat for life

[@YellowSpaceMarine]

This exact thing happened to me multiple times. Now hopefully it won't anymore

[@MrRobWalter]

I face this so often (4..Bf5 & 4..Bg4), and I know that it is a mistake for black, but I still have hard time converting my advantage to a win. Guess I have to watch Ben's video in how to convert winning positions again...

[@johnhanna8389]

After 5. cxd5, I understand why 5. ... cxd5 is worse for black. But 5. ... Nxd5 seems okay for black. If 4. ... Bf5 is such a mistake, is there a way to punish 5 ... Nxd5 as harshly as we punish 5. ... cxd5?

[@danicajohnson2664]

Ben Finegold could make an educational video about someone defecating and I would still watch it.

[@zanti4132]

All right, to ask a stupid question: The moves d5, c6, Nf6, and Bf5, aren't they the same moves played in that opening popular with players who hate to study openings, the London System? For example, if the game starts with 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. c3, White essentially has the position from the Slav after the supposedly dubious 4...Bf5, the only difference being the innocuous move e3. If the position is that suspect, you'd think the London System would be nonexistent at the top level, but even Carlsen plays it. Is this to say the extra tempo (with e3, no less) is that significant here? Why doesn't Black just play 5...cxd4 followed by 6...Qb6 as in the video and immediately grab the initiative? (Okay, I suppose I just asked three questions.)

[@mychessnotebook8653]

That extra move e3 makes a difference because it supports the d4 pawn further. So, after 5...cxd4 6.exd4 Qb6, there is no double attack on b2 and d4. White can just play 7.Qb3. Also, note that after 6.exd4 rather than 6.cxd4, White also doesn't have problems on the e1-a5 diagonal like Black had in the video. This discussion reminds me of this line: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 (the Quiet Variation, instead of 4.Nc3). Here, Black *can* play 4...Bf5 because White doesn't already have a knight on c3 putting pressure on d5. See the game Niemann v. Erigaisi from yesterday's round 3 game in the TePe Sigeman Co tournament. Instructive game.

[@mychessnotebook8653]

It's also worth noting that after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3, if Black wants to play Bf5, he first plays 4...dxc4. Then after 5.a4 (to stop ...b5) Black can play 5...Bf5, because White can't play Qb3, for instance (and can't exchange pawns on d5 to leave a weakness there).

[@zanti4132]

Researching the London line in more detail, the immediate 5...Qb6 seems to work better. Keeping the c-pawn on the board allows for the option 6. Qb3 c4 7. Qxb6 axb6, which Stockfish rates about equal and scores just over 50% in the Shredder database.

[@ignaciocalcedovazquez]

I like this kind of videos

[@jaxen9139]

If you play the queens gambit I cannot stress the importance of knowing almost all of the lines in response to Bf5. I am 1940 rapid and I have netted so many free wins from every rating from people playing this horrible move. Its sad that Levy (GothamChess) recommends people to play this monstrosity of a move because "people at your level probably wont know how to punish it" For those wanting to memorize/study, here are some lines you can paste in an engine/analysis to look at - Qb6? 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 Qb6?? 7.Nxd5 Nxd5 8.Qxd5 e6 9.Qb3 Qxb3 10.axb3 Bc2 11.Bd2 Bxb3 12.e4 (computer gives this position +2.5) b6?? (7. dxe4?) 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 b6?? 7.e4 dxe4 8.Ne5 e6 9.Bb5+ Nbd7 10.Bg5 Be7 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.Nxd7 (+5.5, one of blacks worst choices as stated in the video) b6?? (7. Nxe4?) 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 b6?? 7.e4 Nxe4? 8.Nxe4 dxe4 9.Ne5 Be6 10.Bb5+ Nd7 11.d5 Bf5 12.g4 (+9, black is in shambles) b6?? (7. Bxe4?) 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 b6?? 7.e4 Bxe4 8.Bb5+ Nfd7 9.Nxe4 dxe4 10.Ng5 e6 11.d5 (+8, black can do nothing to stop the dual threats of dxe6 and/or Nxf7) e6? (The most common/sensible line for black IMO besides Bc8) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Bf5 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Qb3 e6? 7. Qxb7 Nbd7 8. Bf4 {A very important move, if not played, black will gladly play Rb8, it is a bit different if you play e3 here, but e3 is hardly fighting for an advantage considering the position.} 8... Be7 {Black should really play Qc8 here, but I have yet to see it.} 9. e3 O-O 10. Bc7 Qc8 11. Ba6 Qxb7 12. Bxb7 Rae8 13. O-O (+4)

[@linguanerd]

Thoughts on 5. …Nxd5 for black? The line seems ok after that

[@jaxen9139]

@@linguanerd Its an option, in that case still Qb3 , eventually white will play g3 Bg2 etc, i recommend looking at it with the engine

[@tomaszwalkowiak939]

what about bg4 ?

[@sirbruce70]

So you're saying I should play Bf5. Got it.

[@scottrader6411]

:58 chel-YA-binsk, it'll sound a little closer...

[@thoimaisnam2670]

DUde, I played a lot of Bf5, I mostly crush them and my opponents have never played Qb3!! wtf, I gotta stop playing Bf5...Thanks for this video..

[@dashyz3293]

You probably don't read comments, but could you do something slightly more in depth if you do see this? That is, where/when do you move your bishop in the opening when it doesn't *seem* like it matters. For most beginners like me, we like to just push the bishop up as far as possible where it doesn't blunder anything, and are ABSOLUTELY allergic to Be/d 2/7 when it isn't unpinning a knight.

[@alexglase765]

I've been told a bishop on e2 or d2 helps stop knights coming on a5, b4, h5, and g4.

[@jaxen9139]

You can move the bishop out in the traditional slav (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5) OR in the semi-slav if they play the exchange (1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bf4 Bf5 7. e3 Be7) I made a writeup in the comments you can find for more info/lines

[@emailjwr]

If you don't play bf5, how are you supposed to get the bishop out from behind the black pawns?

[@alexglase765]

you do, just later in the opening.

[@The_Memer6969]

By fianchetto

[@nsiderultimaseth]

This is exactly the kind of dumb move I make. "It's just the opening, how bad could my move be?" Now I know: Pretty bad!

[@mercylessplayer]

Hold up wasn't this recorded several several months ago

[@tuhaggis]

Read the description

[@antonnovo695]

"ChelyaBinsk" :DDD

[@afganitia]

Oh, I usually play bf5, xd

[@RonWolfHowl]

I'm first! I'm the best! Raaaawwwr!!!