3/8/2017 – The Chebanenko Slav (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 a6!?) is a solid, strategically interesting system that has caused players with White a lot of problems. On his DVD "The Chebanenco - still improved" Viktor Bologan offers a complete Slav repertoire based on the Chebanenco and explains why the line is so attractive. FM Markus Hochgräfe is a Slav aficionado and took a close look at the DVD. He suggests some improvements but all in all he liked what Bologan offers.
Tata Steel 2023: Analyses by Giri, Van Foreest, Praggnanandhaa, Donchenko and many more. "Special" on Anthony Miles. Kasimdzhanov, Marin and Zwirs show new opening ideas from Wijk in the video. 11 opening articles with repertoire ideas and much more!
Viktor Bologan believes in the Chebanenko: "This opening is very popular today and thousands of games are played with it, some on the highest level. Strong engines have shown that the Chebanenco is very solid and that Black has a lot of defensive possibilities. So the conclusion is simple: play Chebanenco Slav with Black and force White to switch to 1.e4!"
Tata Steel 2025 with game analyses by Praggnanandhaa, Abdusattorov, Giri and many others. Opening videos by Ganguly, Blohberger and King. 10 opening articles with new ideas for your repertoire. Special on Korttschnoj and much more!
€21.90
Viktor Bologan: The Chebanenco - still improved
A Review by FM Markus Hochgräfe
Cheba… Who? Well, I call this opening is the “Slav with a6”. Unfortunately, spelling the name Chebanenco is so complicated – at least for me – that I find it easier to remember the line as “Slav with a6”. Maybe that’s also the reason why no opening is named after Smbat Lputian…
Bologan is one of the leading experts of the Slav and divides the material on his DVD into 20 chapters. I was positively surprised that he does not only cover the “Slav with a6”, but also the Exchange Slav, lines with an early e3, and Qc2. Basically, Bologan offers a whole Slav repertoire.
I have played the Slav with a6 for more than a decade and I was very curious, where and why Bologan deviates from my own findings. Here is what I learned and found:
1: Slav Exchange. 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 cxd5 5.Bf4 Nc6 6.e3 a6. Bologan covers a lot of the main lines, but he does not mention 7.Be2!? This is an interesting sideline, with which White wants to put Black under pressure after 7…Bf5 8.g4. Black can retreat with 8…Be6 and this should solve his opening problems, but I would still recommend 7.Be2.
2: Slav Exchange after 4…a6. 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 a6 5.cxd5 cxd5 7.Rc1. I like 7…Ne4, but Bologan’s alternative 7…Bg4!? 8. Ne5 Nxe5 9. dxe5 d4! = is a remarkable and even stronger idea.
7: 5. Bg5 Ne4. Here I learned that 6.h4! is the best move. However, Black can equalize after 6…Nxc3 7.bxc3 dxc4. The older alternative seems to be pretty harmless: 6.Bf4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 dxc4 8. Ne5 b5 9. g3 f6! 10.Nf3 c5!
9: 5.a4 e6 6.g3 dxc4 7.Bg2 c5 8.dxc5 Qxd1 9. Nxd1. Bologan recommends 9…Nc6, I like 9…Bd7. If you look for an alternative to 9…Nc6, have a look at 9…Bd7 (with the idea …Bc6).
13: 5.c5 is one of the two critical replies (the other is 5.e3). You can choose between 5…Nbd7 and 5…Bf5, I played and I like both. During the last years both options have been equally popular. Bologan concentrates only on 5…Nbd7. Now, after 6. Bf4 Nh5 7. Bd2 Nhf6 White can repeat moves if he wishes. If you want to play for a win you can also play 7…g6. See the game Belov-Volkov:
After 7. Bd2 Nhf6 I found a mistake Bologan made: 8.h3 Qc7?! 9.e4! leads to an edge for White, but 8…e5! is an improvement for Black. Bologan does not cover 7.Bg5 or 7.Qd2, which are serious alternatives. For a recent example of 7.Bg5 see the game Cramling-Paehtz:
A strong improvement of my analyses in the old main line is 7.e3 g6 8. Bd3 and now …f6!, which equalizes on the spot and is most probably the reason why 7.e3 is no longer popular today.
14: Bologan covers 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 a6. A good alternative to 4…a6 is 4…Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 Nc6! See the game Korobov-Akopian:
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1.d4d52.c4c63.Nc3Nf64.e3Bf55.cxd5cxd56.Qb3Nc6!?An
aggressive gambit line. It is not so easy to prove superiority after the
simple 6...Bc8:6...Bc87.Nf3Nc68.Ne5e69.f4Be710.Bd30-011.0-0Nd712.Bd2Ndxe513.fxe5Bd714.Rf3Sadler,M (2625)-Ernst,S (2581)
Oslo 2011 1-0 (31)7.Qxb7Bd78.Qb3Rb89.Qd1e510.Nf3Bd6In several
games Black played 10...e4. I think this move can't be recommended because it
leads to an unpleasant position. Let's see some games.10...e4?!11.Ne5!Bd612.Nxd7Qxd713.Be213.Bb5!?0-014.0-0Rfc815.f3Qe616.Ba4Na516...exf317.Qxf3Bb418.Ne2Ne719.Nf417.Bc2Bb418.fxe4Nxe419.Nxe4dxe420.Ba4g621.a3Bd622.b4Nc423.Bb3±Winants,L (2543)-Shaw, J
(2424) Istanbul 2012 1/2 (144)13...h514.a314.h3?!Rh615.a3Rg6?!15...h416.Qa4Rg617.Bf1Kf8Black has some compensation for the
sacrificed pawn.16.g3a517.Qa4Rb618.Bd2Ke7?!19.Rc1Bb820.Qc2Nd821.Na4Rc622.Nc5+-Burmakin,V (2586)-Arjun,B (2231) Montcada 2012 1-0
(32)14...a515.f315.Nb5!?Be716.Bd20-017.Rc1±15...exf316.Bxf3Qc717.Nxd5Nxd518.Bxd5Ne719.Ba2Bxh220.Qf320.Qa4+!Kf821.Qc4Qg3+22.Kd1Qg4+23.Qe2±20...f621.e4?!21.Rb1Bg3+22.Kd1±21...Bg3+22.Kf1h423.Qe2?!Qb624.Qc4Rc825.Qa4+Kd826.Bd2Rh527.Rc1Rxc1+28.Bxc1Nc629.Bd5??29.Ke2Nxd4+30.Kd3Ne631.Kc2∞29...Rxd50-1 (29) Flear,G (2459)-Arjun,B (2210) Lille 201211.Be2!?N11.dxe5Nxe512.Be2Looking at this position, it is difficult to believe
that Black has enough compensation for the pawn sacrificed. However, current
practice shows that Black has something for the pawn.Qc712...0-013.0-0Qe714.Nd414.Nxe5!?Qxe514...Bxe5!15.Nxd5Nxd516.Qxd5Rfc8
with the possible line17.Qa5Rc218.Bd1Bc619.Bxc2Bxh2+20.Kxh2Qh4+21.Kg1Bxg222.Kxg2Qg4+=15.f4Qe616.Bf3Bc517.Nxd5Nxd518.Bxd5Bxe3+19.Kh1Qb620.Bxe3Qxe321.b3±Stefanova,A (2531)-Girya,O (2436)
Dilijan ARM 2013 1-0 (62)14...Rfc8White can't complete the
development of his pieces without material loss.15.h315.Ncb5Bc516.Bd2?16.b3a617.Nc3Bb418.Nb1a516...Nc4!17.a4Nxb218.Qe1Ne419.Ba5Nc4Horvath,C (2509) -Brunello,S (2587) Arvier 2012 0-1 (39)15...Rb616.a4Bb417.a5Rbb818.Bd2Nc419.Bxc4Rxc420.Nce2Bxd220...Bd6!?21.b3Rcc822.Rc1Ne421.Qxd2Ne422.Qd3Rxb223.Nf4Qd6=
Melkumyan,H (2649)-Ragger,M (2655) Germany 2012 1/2 (57)13.Nd413.Nxd5Nxd514.Qxd5Bc615.Qd10-013...0-014.h3Ne415.Nxe4dxe416.b316.0-0?!Rb617.b3Bb418.Bb218.a3Bxh319.gxh319.axb4Bxg220.Kxg2Rg6+21.Kh1Qd7-+19...Rg6+20.Kh1Qd721.Bg4Nxg422.hxg4Rxg423.Qxg4Qxg424.axb4Rd825.Rxa7h5-+18...Bxh3!19.Rc119.gxh3?Rg6+20.Kh1Qc821.Bg4Nxg422.hxg4Rxg4-+19...Qd720.f4Bxg221.Kxg2Rg6+22.Kf2Qh3-+16...Qc517.Bb2Qa5+18.Kf1Rfc819.g3Rb620.Kg2h521.h4Ng422.Rc1Rxc123.Qxc1Qe524.Nc2Qf5Wojtaszek,R (2713)-Wang Yue
(2691) Poikovsky 2012 1/2 (42)11...0-011...e4!?At least White can't
play Ne5 now.12.Nd2As we will see later on, White's knight is very well
placed on e1. Therefore probably he should have played e4 before White castled.
0-013.Nb513.0-0Qc714.h314.Nb5?Rxb515.Bxb5Bxh2+16.Kh1Ng417.f3Bg1-+14...Ne7and Black has reasonable compensation for the
pawn.13...Be714.0-0Nb415.Nc3Bf516.Nb3Qc717.Bd2Bd618.h318.Nb5?Bxh2+19.Kh1Rxb520.Bxb5Ng421.Bxb4Bg122.g3Qb623.Kxg1Qh624.Qxg4Bxg425.f3Qh326.fxg4Qxg3+27.Kh1Rb818...Nd319.Bxd3exd3It seems to me that after 11...e4 Black has enough compensation for the
pawn. Practice will tell what is the best way to proceed.12.0-0Qe713.b3e414.Ne1!Bc715.Na4Ne5?!A beautiful but not an effective move.I
would recommend as the best option15...h5!?16.Nc5Qd617.g3Bh318.Ng2Ng419.Bd2Ne7I believe that White's position is superior but Black
retains some attacking chances.15...Qd616.g3Ne717.Nc5Bh318.Ng2Nf519.Na6Rb720.a4±16.Nc516.dxe5??Qxe5-+16...Bb516...Neg417.g3!17.h3?Nh218.Na6Nxf119.Nxc7Qd617...Bc818.Ng2h519.Ba3Bd620.Rc1±17.Bxb5Rxb518.a4Rb619.Ba3Neg420.g3!20.h3?Qd621.g3Nxf2!?21...Nxe322.Nxe4Qxa323.fxe3Qe724.Nxf6+Rxf625.Rxf6Qxf6Black has compensation for the pawn, thanks to his strong
bishop.22.Kxf2Qxg3+23.Ke2Nh5with a strong attack.20...Bd621.h3Nh622.Ng2±Black has no compensation for the pawn. Probably he should
have prevented b4, but anyway his position was bad.g5?!22...a5!?23.Qd2Ra824.Rfc1Nf5±23.b4Nf524.b5h525.Qe2Black's counterplay on the
kingside is non-threatening and White wins the game on the opposite side.h426.g4Ng727.Rfc1Nd7?This is actually a waste of time. It is difficult
to give good advice to Black.27...Ne628.Ne1Rbb828...Rc8?29.Nxe429.Rc3Rfc830.Rac1±White will win the game if he doesn't make a
blunder.28.Qa2!Nf629.Rab1Rfb830.Bb4Ne631.Nxe631.Rc2!?Kg732.Rbc1and Black has no sensible moves.31...fxe632.Bc5R6b733.Qa3Ne834.Rc3a6Otherwise Korobov would double his rooks on the c-file.35.Rcb3axb535...Qd8!?36.bxa6Rxb337.Rxb3Ra838.a7!38.Rb6??Qxb6-+sometimes miracles happen38...Rxa739.Rb6Qxb640.Bxb6Bxa341.Bxa7+-The endgame should be winning for White.36.Rxb5Rxb537.axb5White
is a pawn up and Black's pieces are misplaced. The game is basically over here.
Qd738.Qa6Kf739.Ne1Ke740.b6+-Qb741.Qb5Qd742.Qa5Qb743.Nc21–0
19: 5.e3 is the other critical line. As in the lines after 5.c5 Black has a choice: 5.e3 b5, 5…e6, and 5…Bf5. Bologan concentrates on the latter. He does not cover 6.Be2 h6 7.Bd3!, which is a sophisticated way to prevent Bg6. Carlsen once played this move:
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1.Nf3Nf62.c4c63.Nc3d54.e3a65.d4Bf56.Be2h67.Bd3A small
detail, that does not radically change the balanced nature of the position.
White has waited for the move h7-h6 before exchanging the light-squared
bishops as the black pawn structure is not quite perfect any more. The older 7.
Qb3 has fallen into disrepute as White was unable to get any advantage.7.Qb3Ra78.cxd5cxd59.Ne5e610.Bd2Be710...Bd6?11.Qa4+Nc611...Nbd712.Nb5+-12.Nxc6bxc613.Qxc6+±1-0 Carlsen,M (2837)-Bologan,V
(2732)/Astana KAZ 2012 (54)11.Rc10-012.0-0Nfd713.Nxd7Nxd714.a4Nb815.e4dxe416.d5Nd717.Be3Nc5!17...Bc5?!18.Nxe4Bxe319.Qxe3Qb620.Ng3Aronian,L (2802)-Carlsen,M (2826)/London 2011/ (39)18.Qc418.Qc2Ra819.dxe6fxe620.Bxc5Bxc521.Nxe4Bd4=18...b619.g4exd519...Bh7!?20.dxe6Nxe621.Rfd1Qb820.Qxd5Qxd521.Nxd5Be622.Nxe7+Rxe7=7...Bxd37...e68.Bxf5exf59.Qc2g610.0-0Bd6=8.Qxd3e69.0-0Bb410.Bd2Carlsen has some experience with the line and he
obviously believes that White should try to act swiftly, otherwise even the
traces of an advantage might prove to be elusive.10.b30-011.Bb2Nbd712.Nd2b513.a3Ba514.a4bxc415.bxc4c516.Ba3Bb417.Rfb1Bxa318.Rxa3cxd419.Qxd4e520.Qh4=1/2 (41) Kovalenko,I (2650)-Nyback,T (2610)
Finland 201510...0-011.Rfd111.a3Bxc312.Bxc3dxc412...Nbd713.Rfd1a514.a4Ne415.Nd2Nxc316.bxc3Qc717.cxd5cxd518.c4dxc419.Nxc4Rfc820.Nd2Ra621.Ne4=1/2 (31) Georgiev,K (2623)-Rusev,K (2544) Pleven
201513.Qxc4Qd514.Qb4b515.Qa5Rc816.a4Ne417.Nd2Nd618.Rfe1f519.f3c520.e4fxe421.fxe4Qb722.axb5Nxb5=1/2 (41) Giri,A (2790)
-Mamedyarov,S (2756) Shamkir 201511.b3a512.a3Bxc313.Bxc3Ne414.Bb2Re815.Ne5Nd716.Nxd7Qxd717.f3Ng518.a4f619.Bc3Nf720.Rad1=
0-1 (43) Mamedyarov,S (2759)-Tomashevsky,E (2716) Tbilisi 201511...Ba5!?
Mamedov was acting in Shamkir with a surprising level of confidence. In this
game his good form translates into an ambition to improve upon the Nakamura
game from the Shamkir event in the year 2014.11...Bxc312.Bxc3Ne412...Nbd713.b3Qe713...Ne414.Bb2a515.Ne5Nxe516.dxe5Qe717.Qc214.Rac1Rac814...a515.Nd2Rfd815...a416.b4Nb617.c5Nbd718.b516.h3Nf817.e4dxe418.Nxe4Nxe419.Qxe4Ng620.a4Qg521.g3Rd722.h4Qh523.Rd3Ne724.Rcd115.Qe2Ne4?!15...Rfd816.Ne1dxc417.bxc4c518.Qb2b619.f319.dxc5Nxc520.Bxf6Qxf621.Qxb6Rxd122.Rxd1Qc3=19...cxd420.Bxd4Rc6=16.Bb2Rfd817.Ne1Nd617...Qg518.f3Nd619.c5Nf520.e4Nh421.g317...dxc418.Qxc4Nef619.Nd317...Nef618.Nd318.Ba31-0 (61) Carlsen,M (2881)-Nakamura,
H (2772) Shamkir 2014/13.Be1Nd714.Rac1Re815.Qb315.a4Qf616.Qc2Nd617.b3Rac818.Bb4Ne419.Qe2Qf520.h3Qh521.Rc2=1-0 (70)
Collins,S (2495)-Greet,A (2431) Tromso 201415...Qb616.Qxb6Nxb617.b3f618.Kf1a519.Ng1a420.c5Nd721.b4=1-0 (49) Michalik,P (2570)-Nyback,
T (2603) Germany 201511...a512.a3Bxc312...Be713.e4dxe414.Nxe4Nxe415.Qxe4Nd716.Bf413.bxc3Nbd713...dxc414.Qxc4Qd515.Qe214.cxd5cxd515.c412.a4The world champion must have looked at
the idea of expansion with the b-pawn, but he obviously did not like the
vulnerability of the c4-square.12.Rab1Nbd713.b4Bc714.e4Nb615.cxd5cxd516.e5Nfd712...Nbd713.b4White needs to play actively as
Black has every reason to consider his position to be strategically very
healthy.13.Ne2Re814.Qb3Rb8=13...Bxb413...Bc7!?14.a5Re815.e4dxe416.Nxe4e517.dxe5Nxe418.Qxe4Nxe5=14.Nxd5exd5Modern
chess practice is turning into a a game with lots of small choices for both
sides. Both players have been aware that Black is quite close to full equality,
but the selection of the most promising line was wide open.14...cxd515.Bxb4dxc416.Qxc4Rc817.Qb3Re818.a514...Bxd2!?15.Nxf6+Nxf616.Rxd2c517.Rb1Qc7=15.Bxb4Re815...dxc416.Qxc4Re817.a516.a5dxc417.Qxc4Nd5The position is nearly equal, but Carlsen has
managed to fix the queenside pawn structure to his favour. Black will trust
his piece control of the centre and the fact, that White has 5 pawns of his
pawn structure on the squares of his remaining bishop.18.h318.Rab1Rb819.Rb218...Qc719.Be1N7f620.Ne5Ne421.Rac1Qe7The only real
weakness in the black position is the pawn on b7. White does not even pretend
that he could effectively attack it at this stage of the game.21...Rad822.Qb3Qe723.Rc222.Qd3Nd623.Qa3f623...Nb524.Qb2Rad825.Nd3Nd6=24.Nd3Rad825.Bb4For better or worse White is parting with his
imperfect bishop with the hope to capitalise on a slightly better pawn
structure.25.Nc5Ne4=25...Nxb426.Qxb4Ne427.Nc5Nxc527...Rd728.Qc4+Rd529.Qb3Kf830.Qxb730.Nxe4Rb5!=30...Qxb731.Nxb7Rb832.f3Rxb733.fxe4Rxa534.Rf1=28.dxc5Rxd1+29.Rxd1Qf730.Qg430.Rd6Re531.g3Kh7=30...f5!This weakening move will make it easier
for the defender to keep firm control of the e file as well as to defend the
b7 weakness.31.Qb4Re432.Qb6Qe733.Qb3+33.Rd6Kh7=33...Kh734.Rd6Qe5?All players are kindly advised to combine defence with some
sensible counterplay. Mamedov discloses how much tension he must have felt
under the surface of the relatively peaceful middlegame. His first active move
is a grave blunder, frustrated he resigned immediately.34...Re535.Qc2Re4=35.Qf7!35.Qf7!Qe835...Qe7?36.Qxf5+Kg837.Qc8+Kh738.Rd7Qe539.Qxb7+-36.Qxf5+g637.Qf6±1–0
After the main move 6.Qb3 Bologan recommends 6…b5, but 6…Ra7 is an alternative if you are looking for one. Both options have been played equally often in the last years.
Summary:
On this DVD Bologan presents a whole Slav repertoire, not only lines of the Chebanenko Slav. I like it that after each chapter he gives a short summary of the lines he presented. The depth of his analyses is manageable, which is also good, since nobody can remember tons of theory. Therefore, I recommend this DVD for players with a rating of >1800 but it also has grandmasters something to offers. And you can trust Bologan’s recommendations and lines: while checking with an engine I only found one mistake. Most critical seems to be the line arising after 5.c5 Nbd7 6.Bf4 Nh5. In my opinion, this chapter is too short since Bologan does not cover 7.Bg5 and 7.Qd2. But all in all this is an excellent DVD which I would rate with an ‘A-’.
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