Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7
What Is The Normal Variation?
With 5...Nbd7 Black completes the Semi-Slav tabiya without releasing the central tension. The pawns on c6 and e6 hold d5 twice, so White never wins the centre by force, and the price is the light-squared bishop, buried behind its own pawns. Freeing it is the whole game: Black plays ...dxc4 and ...b5, then ...Bb7 and ...c5, and the bishop that looked dead rakes the long diagonal.
Black delays ...dxc4 on purpose, waiting until White commits with Bd3, so that Bxc4 is played with loss of time and ...b5 arrives with tempo: that is the Meran. White sidesteps it with 6.Qc2, the Stoltz, preparing e4 without exposing the bishop. Do not read 4.e3 as timid; White shuts in the c1 bishop to castle quickly and fight for e4.
What Do Players Choose At The Decision Point?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Be7 | 27% | 185 | |
| Bd6 | 21% | 142 | |
| Nbd7 | 20% | 138 | |
| Bb4 | 18% | 122 |
How Does Play Continue From Here?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bd3 | 44% | 72 | |
| cxd5 | 14% | 23 | |
| Qc2 | 14% | 23 | |
| Be2 | 10% | 16 |