Réti Opening: Anglo-Slav Variation
1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 c6 3.Nf3 d5 4.b3
Anglo-Slav Variation
1.2.3.4.
What Is The Anglo-Slav Variation?
4.b3 answers the Slav wall Black has built. Pawns on c6 and d5 defend each other, so the g2 bishop bites on granite and White stops fighting for d5 by force. b3 prepares Bb2 and props up c4, so ...dxc4 is met by bxc4, giving White a broad centre and the open b-file. This is not a slow system: White leaves every central pawn uncommitted and chooses d4, e4 or pure piece pressure only after Black commits.
Games turn on Black's c8 bishop. Get it to f5 or g4 before ...e6 and Black equalises comfortably. Leave it home and White presses with cxd5 and play on the c-file. White's break is e4, prepared by d3 and Nbd2. Once it lands, both bishops fire and d5 becomes the target.
What Do Players Choose At The Decision Point?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bg2 | 90% | 73 | |
| b3 | 5% | 4 | |
| cxd5 | 4% | 3 | |
| e3 | 1% | 1 |
The Named Lines Of The Anglo-Slav Variation
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| Gurevich System | 1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.b3 e5 |
| Bogoljubow Variation | 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 c6 3.b3 Bf5 4.Bb2 |
| with g3 | 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 c6 4.O-O Bf5 5.d3 h6 6.c4 e6 |
| Bled Variation | 1.Nf3 d5 2.b3 Nf6 3.Bb2 g6 4.c4 c6 |
| London Defensive System | 1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 c6 3.Nf3 d5 4.b3 Bf5 5.Bg2 e6 6.Bb2 |
| Torre System | 1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 c6 3.Nf3 d5 4.b3 Bg4 5.Bg2 e6 6.Bb2 |
| Capablanca Variation | 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c6 3.b3 d5 4.Bb2 Bg4 5.e3 |
| New York System | 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c6 3.b3 d5 4.Bb2 Bf5 5.e3 |
| with dxc4 | 1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 c6 3.Nf3 d5 4.b3 dxc4 |
| Bogoljubow Variation, Stonewall Line | 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.O-O O-O 6.b3 c6 7.Bb2 |