D49 Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Blumenfeld Variation
D49 holds six named lines, all under the name Semi-Slav Defense. It leaves D48 (Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Old Variation) with 10...cxd4 11.Nxb5. Its deepest line, Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Rellstab Attack, runs to 15.Bg5, the second-longest of all 500 codes. Four captures are made along the reference line, the most of the 7 Semi-Slav Defense codes. Black, to move in that position, has 29 legal moves, the fewest of the 7 Semi-Slav Defense codes.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | d4 | d5 |
| 2 | c4 | c6 |
| 3 | Nc3 | Nf6 |
| 4 | e3 | e6 |
| 5 | Nf3 | Nbd7 |
| 6 | Bd3 | dxc4 |
| 7 | Bxc4 | b5 |
| 8 | Bd3 | a6 |
| 9 | e4 | c5 |
| 10 | e5 | cxd4 |
| 11 | Nxb5 |
Moves only D49 plays
Same as D48 up to 8...a6, then:
- 9.e4 The e-pawn advances to e4, covering d5 and f5, opening a line for the bishop on c1.
- 9...c5 The c-pawn advances to c5, covering b4 and d4.
- 10.e5 The e-pawn advances to e5, covering d6 and f6, opening a line for the bishop on d3, attacking the knight on f6.
- 10...cxd4 The c-pawn takes the pawn on d4, covering c3 and e3, opening a line for the bishop on f8, attacking the knight on c3.
- 11.Nxb5 The knight on c3 takes the pawn on b5.
Lines filed under D49
All six share the start 1.d4 d5 and then split two ways at White’s move 2.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Blumenfeld Variation | 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 a6 9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5 | 21 | |
| Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Rabinovich Variation | 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 a6 9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5 Ng4 | 22 | |
| Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Sozin Variation | 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 a6 9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5 Nxe5 | 22 | Black +1 |
| Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Sozin Variation | 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 a6 9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 axb5 13.O-O | 25 | Black +1, White castled |
| Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Stahlberg Variation | 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 a6 9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 axb5 13.Qf3 | 25 | Black +1 |
| Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Rellstab Attack | 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 a6 9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 axb5 13.O-O Qd5 14.Qe2 Ba6 15.Bg5 | 29 | Black +1, White castled |
The road to D49
- 1.d4 … 9.e411 earlier stops: A40, D00, D06, D10, D45, D46, D47, D48
- 9...c5D48 Meran Variation
- 10.e5D48 Old Variation
- 11.Nxb5D49
The position after 11.Nxb5
White has brought out the knight on b5, knight on f3 and bishop on d3; Black the knight on d7 and knight on f6. White has a half-open d-file; Black a half-open b-file. Black could capture with Nxe5, axb5. The c-file is fully open.
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| C06 | French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Closed Variation, Main Line | 11 squares: d2, e2, f3, d4, b5, d5, a6, c6 … |
| D46 | Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line | 11 squares: c3, e3, c4, d4, b5, d5, e5, a6 … |
| D47 | Semi-Slav Defense: Semi-Meran Variation | 11 squares: c3, d3, e3, c4, d4, b5, e5, a6 … |
| B42 | Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Modern Variation | 12 squares: b1, c2, f3, d4, e4, b5, e5, f6 … |
| B87 | Sicilian Defense: Sozin Attack, Flank Variation | 12 squares: c2, b3, c3, d3, f3, d4, e4, b5 … |
| B84 | Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Classical Variation | 13 squares: c2, e2, c3, d3, f3, d4, e4, b5 … |
| C14 | French Defense: Classical Variation | 13 squares: c1, f1, c2, c3, d3, d4, b5, d5 … |