Ponderchess / Openings
Play the guided film, or select a scene to pause and study its position.
Opening
The Semi-Slav Defense in 3D
Black plays both ...c6 and ...e6 with ...d5, a combination of the Slav and the Queen's Gambit Declined that leads to some of the sharpest positions in chess.
Rebuild the sequence yourself. The board responds to each move, and hints are available.
Click or drag to move · Arrow keys + Enter to play
Your turn · white to play
Select a piece, then its destination. Switch to 2D for a clear overhead view or rotate the 3D board to explore the position.
Semi-Slav Defense: Rubinstein System, move by move: d4 d5 c4 e6 Nc3 c6 Nf3 Nf6 …
The white pieces
Choose between quiet systems with e3 and sharp lines with Bg5, depending on your appetite for theory.
The black pieces
Be ready for complex tactics. The ...dxc4 and ...b5 plan gives the most counterplay.
Look a little deeper · 01
The Meran Variation and the Botvinnik System are famous for deep, forcing theory.
Look a little deeper · 02
Black can take on c4 and expand with ...b5, gaining queenside space.
Semi-Slav Defense: Rubinstein System, move by move: d4 d5 c4 e6 Nc3 c6 Nf3 Nf6 …
Keyboard: Space pauses, the arrow keys step. Gold arrows are White's moves, violet are Black's, red rays are threats, green shows support, blue shows plans.
