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The Meran Variation 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 e6 4.e3
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Opening Lesson 4
Opening Lesson 5
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Opening Lesson 7
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The Meran Variation 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 e6 4.e3

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 e6 4.e3
The Meran Variation

Slav Meran (5.Qc2) 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 e6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Qc2!
  • This has now become popular it allows you to castle Queenside and Gambits like the the Latvian Bayonet
  • For a Guide to this Opening Click

    • 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Qc2

    4... Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 a6

    4... Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 a6

    4... Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5

    4... Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5

  • Here white tries to get 9...c5 but 11.Nxb5 give white the punch for a slight advantage. This is a main line.
  • 8.Bd3!! is important. If need be you can place your night on e4 after 8..a6 9.e5 b4 10.Ne4 also the bishop threatens to go to e4 later
  • 8.Bd3 a6 9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5

    • 8.Bd3 a6 9.e4 c5 10.e5 cxd4 11.Nxb5

  • As mentioned befor 11..Ng4 is poor because Be4 is threatened
    11... Nxe5 12.Nxe5 axb5 13.Qf3 Bb4+ 14.Ke2 Rb8

    • 11... Nxe5 12.Nxe5 axb5 13.Qf3 Bb4+ 14.Ke2 Rb8

    15.Qg3 Qd6 16.Nf3

    15.Qg3 Qd6 16.Nf3

    [Event "?"] [Site "Stockholm"] [Date "1948.??.??"] [White "Szabo,Laszlo"] [Black "Stahlberg,Gideon"] [Round "?"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D31"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 Nf6 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. Qf3 Bb4+ 14. Ke2 Rb8 15. Qg3 Qd6 16. Nf3 Qxg3 17. hxg3 Bd6 18. Bf4 Bxf4 19. gxf4 Bd7 20. Nxd4 Ke7 21. Rac1 Rhc8 22. Kd2 Rxc1 23. Rxc1 Kd6 24. g3 h6 25. Be2 g5 26. Rh1 gxf4 27. gxf4 Nd5 28. f5 e5 29. Rxh6+ f6 30. Nc2 Bxf5 31. Ne3 Nxe3 1/2-1/2

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  • 9.e4 b4
  • White does great here with black's weaken queenside. This and the threat to the kingside may keep black's King stuck in the center.

    • 9.e4 b4

    10.Na4 c5 11.e5

    10.Na4 c5 11.e5

    [Event "FSGM July"] [Site "Budapest HUN"] [Date "2003.??.??"] [White "Gerzhoy,L"] [Black "Thorfinnsson,Br"] [Round "9"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2410"] [BlackElo "2373"] [ECO "D10"] 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 b4 10. Na4 c5 11. e5 Nd5 12. Nxc5 Nxc5 13. dxc5 Bxc5 14. O-O h6 15. Qe2 Bb7 16. Bd2 Qb6 17. Rac1 Rd8 18. Rc4 a5 19. Rfc1 Be7 20. Rg4 g5 21. h4 h5 22. Rxg5 Bxg5 23. Bxg5 Rc8 24. Rxc8+ Bxc8 25. Nd2 Qc7 26. Ne4 Kf8 27. Ng3 Bb7 28. Nxh5 Rg8 29. Qg4 Qc1+ 30. Kh2 a4 31. Nf6 Rxg5 32. Qxg5 Qxg5 33. hxg5 Nf4 34. Bf1 a3 35. bxa3 bxa3 36. g3 Nd5 37. Bc4 Nc3 38. Kg1 Bf3 39. Kf1 Kg7 40. Ke1 Nb1 41. Bd3 Nc3 42. Bc4 Nb1 43. Ne8+ Kf8 44. Nd6 Nc3 45. Kd2 Nd5 46. Bxd5 Bxd5 47. Nb5 Bxa2 48. Nxa3 Kg7 49. Ke3 Kg6 50. f4 Bb3 51. Nb5 Bd1 52. Nd6 Bg4 53. Ne4 Bd1 54. Nf2 Bc2 55. Kd4 Bb1 56. Kc5 Bf5 57. Kd6 Kh5 58. Ke7 Bg6 59. Kf6 1-0

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  • In this line you don't take the pawn 6...dxc4 you bring the Bishop to d6 instead
    4...Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.O-O
  • 6...Bd6 stats are poor for black. White wins 52% loses 16% draws 32%
  • But black has two good plans for freeing himself

    • 4...Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.O-O

  • 7...O-O 8.e4
  • 8.e4 is a strong move for White
  • Black has two main choices 8...dxe4 and 8...dxc4

    • 7...O-O 8.e4

    8... dxc4 9.Bxc4 e5

    8... dxc4 9.Bxc4 e5

    [Event "36th Olympiad"] [Site "Calvia ESP"] [Date "2004.??.??"] [White "Lautier,J"] [Black "Akopian,Vl"] [Round "13"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2682"] [BlackElo "2692"] [ECO "D11"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bd3 dxc4 6. Bxc4 Nbd7 7. O-O Bd6 8. Nc3 O-O 9. e4 e5 10. Be3 Qe7 11. Bb3 exd4 12. Bxd4 Ne5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. Bxe5 Qxe5 15. f4 Qc5+ 16. Kh1 Be6 17. e5 Rad8 18. Qf3 Bxb3 19. axb3 Nd5 20. Ne4 Qb6 21. Rae1 f6 22. e6 Ne7 23. f5 Rd5 24. Ng3 Qd4 25. Re2 Rfd8 26. h3 Qh4 27. Re4 Qh6 28. Rfe1 Kf8 29. Kh2 a6 30. Qf2 Ke8 31. Qa7 Rd2 32. Qxb7 Rxb2 33. R1e3 g6 34. Qa7 Rbd2 35. Rb4 Qg7 36. Ne4 R2d5 37. Rb7 Kf8 38. Rf3 g5 39. Rb8 Ng8 40. Rb7 Ne7 41. Rb8 Ng8 42. Qb6 Qe7 43. Rb7 Rb5 44. Rxe7 Rxb6 45. Rxh7 Rb4 46. Nc5 Ke8 47. Nxa6 1-0

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  • 8... dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Bxe4 c5
  • This line is the weaker of the two. White does not take the c pawn. He just retreats the Bishop at e4 and threatens Kingside attacks . This causes black to weaken his pawn stucture as in the game below game

    • 8... dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Bxe4 c5

    [Event "Open"] [Site "Ubeda ESP"] [Date "2001.??.??"] [White "Kacheishvili,G"] [Black "Abou el Zein,E"] [Round "1"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2556"] [BlackElo "2361"] [ECO "D11"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bd3 Nbd7 6. Nbd2 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. e4 dxe4 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 c5 11. Bc2 Qe7 12. Qd3 f5 13. Re1 cxd4 14. Nxd4 Nc5 15. Qe3 Qf6 16. b4 Ne4 17. c5 Bb8 18. Bb2 a5 19. a3 Bd7 20. Rad1 Rf7 21. Bb3 Bc7 22. Nxe6 Bxh2+ 23. Kxh2 Qxb2 24. Ng5 Be8 25. f3 Nf6 26. Qe6 1-0

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  • 8.b3 suggested by GM Rubin Fine has turned out to be a fair system for white.
  • A good plan for black is placing his Queen at e7 . Black then has the option of going Ba3 exchanging of the Bishops.
  • Also Black should try and get e5 in as the game below
  • 4.... Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.O-O O-O 8.b3

    • 4.... Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.O-O O-O 8.b3

    [Event "chTeam-YUG"] [Site "Vrnjacka Banja YUG"] [Date "1999.??.??"] [White "Kosic,D"] [Black "Savic,Mio1"] [Round "?"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2523"] [BlackElo "2434"] [ECO "A46"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 d5 4. c4 c6 5. Nc3 Bd6 6. Bd3 Nbd7 7. O-O O-O 8. b3 Qe7 9. Bb2 e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Be2 dxc4 12. bxc4 Rd8 13. Qc2 Nfg4 14. g3 Qf6 15. Nxe5 Nxe5 16. f4 Ng4 17. Ne4 Qh6 18. Bxg4 Bxg4 19. Nxd6 Rxd6 20. c5 Re6 21. Rae1 Rae8 22. Bd4 1/2-1/2

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  • 4.... Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 Be7
  • 6... Be7 has even stats

    • 4.... Nf6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 Be7

    [Event "Open"] [Site "Bourbon-Lancy FRA"] [Date "1998.??.??"] [White "Chatalbashev,B"] [Black "Komljenovic,D"] [Round "08"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2535"] [BlackElo "2480"] [ECO "D11"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 e6 4. e3 Nd7 5. Bd3 Ngf6 6. O-O Be7 7. Nc3 O-O 8. e4 dxe4 9. Nxe4 b6 10. Qe2 Qc7 11. Bg5 Bb7 12. Rad1 Rfe8 13. Nxf6+ gxf6 14. Bh6 Nf8 15. Bc2 Ng6 16. Rfe1 Bb4 17. Nd2 Red8 18. Qh5 f5 19. a3 Be7 20. Nf3 c5 21. d5 exd5 22. Bxf5 dxc4 23. Ng5 Rxd1 24. Rxd1 Rd8 25. Re1 Qc6 26. Be4 Qc7 27. Ne6 fxe6 28. Bxg6 Bf6 29. Bc2 1-0

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  • 4.... Nf6 5.Nf3 a6
  • 5...a6 Has even stats and the favorites of GM's

    • 4.... Nf6 5.Nf3 a6

    [Event "5th Karpov"] [Site "Poikovsky RUS"] [Date "2004.??.??"] [White "Bologan,V"] [Black "Grischuk,A"] [Round "3"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2679"] [BlackElo "2719"] [ECO "E10"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c6 5. e3 a6 6. c5 Nbd7 7. b4 g6 8. Bb2 Bg7 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O Qc7 11. Na4 Ne4 12. Ne1 e5 13. dxe5 Nxe5 14. f3 Nf6 15. Nb6 Rb8 16. Bd4 Re8 17. Qd2 Ned7 18. Nd3 Nxb6 19. cxb6 Qe7 20. Nc5 Nh5 21. Rfe1 Qd8 22. Bf1 Bxd4 23. exd4 Be6 24. Re5 Ng7 25. Na4 Qd7 26. Rae1 c5 27. Nxc5 Qc6 28. b5 Qxb6 29. bxa6 bxa6 30. Nxa6 Rbc8 31. Qb4 Qa7 32. a4 Nf5 33. Rd1 Re7 34. a5 Rb7 35. Qd2 Re7 36. g4 Nd6 37. Nc5 Rxc5 38. dxc5 Qxc5+ 39. Kg2 Qa3 40. Re3 Qa4 41. a6 Re8 42. Qd4 Nc4 43. Bxc4 dxc4 44. a7 1-0

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    Continued Variations