By IM John Donaldson, USA Olympic Team Captain and author
The Modernized Slav Defense by Armenian Grandmaster Zaven Andriasian is a timely book on this solid defense. There have been some excellent works on the Slav in the last twenty years by Avrukh, Lakdalawala and Vigus. That said, while the theory of the Slav doesn’t change as quickly as in many other openings, an up-to-date guide is always welcome.
The present work offers much more than the title implies. It not only covers the Slav proper, focusing on 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5, but also examines all White’s early alternatives including the Exchange Variation, lines with Qc2 and Qb3 and various gambits.
Andriasian chooses to meet 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 with 4…Bg4 but 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 by 4…e6, transposing into the Semi-Slav. The author has selected 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bd6 as his Meran variation. All of White’s tries after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 (7.Be2, 7.Bd3, 7.e4, 7.b3 and 7.g4) are covered making this book useful to not only Slav players but those who play the Semi-Slav.
The biggest difference between the present book and that by Avrukh is that after: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4 8.0-0 he proposes 8…Nbd7 (or 8…0-0) 9.Qe2 0-0 10.e4 Bg6 11.Bd3
Andriasian recommends 11…Re8.
Searching for the position after 11.Bd3 in Mega Database 2026 one can see that 11…Bh5 (Avrukh’s choice) is by far the most common move here followed by 11…h6. While 11…Re8 is not unknown, it is decidedly less common with most of the top games played by Andriasian!
While 11…Re8 and 11…Bh5, both aiming for …e5, can transpose after 12.Bd3 Bh5 13.Bf4 Re8 / 12.Bd3 Re8 13.Bf4 Bh5, play normally is a bit different after 11…Re8, with Black gaining the option of …Nf8 to defend h7. Placing the rook on e8 protects the e-pawn if Black recaptures with …fxg6 after an exchange on light-squared bishops on g6. It also means the rook will not be on the half open f-file in the event of a capture on that square. Black sometimes plays …f6 with the idea the rook on e8 defends the e-pawn after exf6.
Andriasian’s main line goes 11…Re8 12.e5 Bxd3 13.Qxd3 Nd5 14.Nxd5 cxd5 15.Qb5 Be7!
15…Qe7 16.Bg5 f6 17.exf6 gxf6 18.Bh4 was better for White in T. Petrosian-Andriasian, Asrian Memorial 2018.
16.Qxb7
16.Bd2 Nb6 17.b3 a6 18.Qd3 Nd7 intending …Nb8-c6, a typical redeployment in this variation.
16…Rb8 17.Qa6
17.Qxa7?? Qc8 traps the queen.
17…Qc7 18.Qd3 Rec8 19.Rd1 Qc2 20.Rd2 Qxd3 21.Rxd3 Rb7 22.Kf1 Kf8 23.Ke2 Nb8
Andriasian believes Black has full compensation for the pawn with …Nc6-b4 to follow.
One trendy line in the Exchange Slav that has been causing Black problems is the variation that arises after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bf4 Nc6 6.e3 Bf5 7.Qb3 Na5 8.Qa4+ Bd7 9.Qc2 e6
Andriasian believes the following sequence solves Black’s problems.
10.Bd3 Rc8 11.Nf3 Bb4 12.0–0 0–0 13.Ne5 h6 14.h3 a6 15.Rfc1 Bxc3 16.bxc3 Bb5!
The Modernized Slav Defense offers Black a theoretically dependable, rock-solid defense against 1.d4. Note, however, that the author, while a long-time Slav adherent, uses it selectively. He doesn’t play it to draw but accepts White can force one if he wishes in various lines in the Exchange Variation or 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4 8.0-0 Nbd7 9.Qb3 a5 10.Na2 Be7 11.Qxb7. When Andriasian finds himself in a must win situation he doesn’t play the Slav. Of course, Black can vary with …a6 in the Exchange variation and 8…0-0 in the main line, but that is another matter.
