DiR, I got a chance to play an early ...Ne4 in the exchange Slav. I was thrilled to be able to try it out in a long game after that thread a few weeks ago. Overall it was an interesting game and I really liked it more than the normal symmetrical stuff. This was my first time to seriously play it, and it occurred to me that the positions arising after the fianchetto are very similar to the exchange Grunfeld variations, with the only real difference of white's pawn being on e3 instead of e4. Almost everything else is the same, it's pretty cool. Anyway, here's a link to the game. I played black against a 2124 and managed to draw.

http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-game...r.php?id=69892

I think the game was without too many glaring errors, but I missed an opportunity for a real advantage with 19...Bc3 20.Qc1 Be6. During the game I dismissed the line because I didn't like giving up the b7 pawn, but the computer really likes it and gives black about a 1-pawn edge. Lines like that are tough for me to go for during the game, so I opted for a safer plan that led to a draw.

Nothing special, just wanted to show you the game and say thanks again for the line.

Glad to see!

Usually black just captures on c4 but yeah that's yet another game that really shows this line is probably just equal but it sure does play like it's =+! Nice game.

On a practical level I've found very few white players willing to voluntarily play against this line multiple times so you need to be ready for some strange move orders from white like 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd cxd 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bf4?! Nf6 (Qb6!?) 6. e3?! the second time you face an exchange player. In those lines black can genuinely start fighting for an opening advantage, even if slight, in a variety of ways be it with Qb6 or Nh5 or just go into very favorable versions of standard exchange lines with normal development. But it's a good idea to be prepared for it because you will definitely face it and black has so many good ways to proceed that it could be overwhelming over the board - what a dire problem!

That's an interesting move order, I'm not sure how best to approach it. How does the early Qb6 work out? That looks fairly promising. I also wonder if we can try an early Ne4 anyway with something like 6...Ne4 there. Would that be likely to transpose back into the original line?

The main problem with this line of the Slav is if White plays 9.Ne5 (or 9.Bb5 followed by Ne5). If White exchanges on c6 then it's a symmetrical position where White's bishop on f4 is better than Black's on g7. If Black plays 9...Nxe5 10.Bxe5 f6 11.Bg3, he weakens his Kingside for little in return.

It's not a huge edge for White (it's hard to get a huge edge playing the Slav exchange), but White can press with little risk of counterplay from Black.

Hahaha just had somebody play that exact line against me I was discussing.

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. Bf4 Nc6 6. e3 Qb6 7. Nc3? Qxb2 8. Nb5?? e5 9. Rb1 Bb4+ 10. Nd2 Bxd2+ 11. Ke2 Qxa2 12. Ra1 Qc4+ 13. Kxd2 Ne4+ 14. Ke1 Qb4+ 15. Ke2 Qxb5+ 16. Kf3 Qb2 17. Bg3 Ng5#

Qb6 worked out pretty okay there!

The thing that concerns me about a move like 6. .. Ne4 is something like 7. Nbd2. Not exactly a terrifying move and black is doing just fine there and after 7. .. Nxd2 8. Nxd2 is even forced due to e5 tricks, but I think it's going to be tough to conjure up many winning chances in that position.

Another option you need to be prepared for is when white goes for the same single knight development, but with his queen's knight instead of the king's knight. That actually is a whole lot more logical since his queenside/b2 isn't such a juicy target. There I imagine something like 6. .. Ne4 would make more sense and be more likely to transpose since it's actually biting on something. And there in response to 7. Nge2 (which looks ridiculous but exchange players - go figure) we could even look into getting wacky with something like 7. .. g5!?

9. Ne5 definitely isn't a problem for black in terms of play. There's a bunch of wacky lines there.

9. Ne5 Bg7 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. Qa4 O-O!? 12. Qxc6 e5! is one example.

On 10. Bb5 there's 10. .. Bxe5!? again leading to fun positions.

Great stuff in this thread. I'm just happy to be able to solidly liven up the exchange Slav games without sacrificing too much positionally. Plus, the vast majority of exchange Slav players I know love their bread and butter symmetrical lines. If nothing else, the Ne4 stuff serves as a way to get them out of their comfort zone early.

Oooo yeah one other idea. Something I forgot to mention in relation to the queen's knight single knight development - the reason many white players who play the exchange avoid it. Black has a very strong 'gambit' available. It's not really even a gambit since black generally just about always gets his pawn back.

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd cxd 4. Nc3 e5!

Similarly

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd cxd 4. Bf4 Nc6 5. Nc3 e5!

Some sort of improved winawer countergambit.

Definitely an interesting gambit. Have you tried it out before? How did it work?

Generally very well. It's a fun gambit that has a few very neat ideas if you haven't seen them before like the characteristic Nh6->g4->e3 when black has a knight pinned on d2. You're going to end up with an imbalanced game and against a player who has developed exchange variations as a crutch, it's brutal.

And, typical of exchange players, the most common response I've faced is: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd cxd 4. Nc3 e5 5. e3?

A solid center, more space and better bishops - reasonable opening results for move 5 as black!

Check this game out to watch a 2600 dismantle a 2300. Man I want someone to play into this now, it looks like a blast. The structure after 11...Nge7 looks like an Albin Counter Gambit that is VERY advantageous for black. How is white ever developing that f1 bishop?

http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-game...r.php?id=70062

just be careful that you don't get hoisted by your own petard after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. e4!