user23598: I'm looking for an easy variation to learn against the Semislav. Note that I play d4, c4, Nc3 against many openings. I tried to play the 5.Bg5 line but I felt that it was full of memorization:
[FEN ""]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.Bg5

So I switched to playing the Bogolyubov line which avoids the Slav dxc4 because my Bishop can take it with temp:
[FEN ""]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.e3 Nf6 (3...Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 Nf6 6.O-O) (3...e6 4.Nc3 Bb4 (4...f5)) 4.Nc3 e6 (4...g6)(4...Nbd7)(4...a6)(4...Bf5) 5.Nf3 Be7 (5...Nbd7)(5...Bd6)(5...dxc4) 6. Bd3 Nbd7 (6...O-O) (6...dxc4) 7. O-O O-O

Btw, I tried playing the slav with white before switching to the Bogolyubov line as
[FEN ""]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4

But I didn't like them that much. Maybe because I haven't read about them a lot. As you can see, there are tons of variations in the Bogolyubov line, including the Meran. It's too much! I would really appreciate it if somebody can give me either an easy line against the Semislav that avoids the Slav, or two easy lines against Semislav and slav.

user9684: The easiest to learn is the exchange variation.  It leads to the persistent opening advantage, but doesn't offer much opportunity for a crushing win.  This is the line I played when I had to face the Slav.

[FEN ""]

[White "?"]
[Black "?"]


1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bf4 Bf5 (6... a6 7. Ne5)
7. e3 e6 8. Bb5 Rc8 9. Qa4 Nd7 10. Bxc6 Rxc6 11. Qxa7 Qc8 12. Qa5 Ra6 13. Qc7
Qa8 14. O-O Bd3 (14... Rc6 15. Nb5) 15. Rfc1 Rc6 16. Nxd5 exd5 17. Rxc6 bxc6 18.
Ne5 Nxe5 19. Qxe5+ Be7 (19... Kd7 20. Qc7+ Ke8 21. Rc1) *


user28146: I have played Semi-Slav for about a decade as my main opening as black and I also frequently play it as white. I think it's not possible to combine all of your wishes. You would like to play 1.d4, 2.c4, 3.Nc3 but then you don't like 4.e3 or 4.Nf3. There's no good alternative to those on the fourth move (except transposing to exchange variation but that should've been done already earlier).
I suggest you could try 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qb3. Game might continue 4...dxc5 5.Qxc5 Bf5 (5...Bg4 is common as well) 6.g3 e6 7.Bg2. White has a slight but lasting advantage and you don't have to know much theory.
Another a bit more rare option would be 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3, after which game might continue 4...Bf5 5.Nc3 6.e6 Nh4. There's not much theory to learn, White has a slight advantage and it's not that simple to play for Black. At your level I would expect black players to be unprepared for this line.

23598: <p>I'm looking for an easy variation to learn against the Semislav. Note that I play d4, c4, Nc3 against many openings. I tried to play the 5.Bg5 line but I felt that it was full of memorization:</p>
<pre><code>[FEN &quot;&quot;]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.Bg5
</code></pre>
<p>So I switched to playing the Bogolyubov line which avoids the Slav dxc4 because my Bishop can take it with temp:</p>
<pre><code>[FEN &quot;&quot;]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.e3 Nf6 (3...Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 Nf6 6.O-O) (3...e6 4.Nc3 Bb4 (4...f5)) 4.Nc3 e6 (4...g6)(4...Nbd7)(4...a6)(4...Bf5) 5.Nf3 Be7 (5...Nbd7)(5...Bd6)(5...dxc4) 6. Bd3 Nbd7 (6...O-O) (6...dxc4) 7. O-O O-O
</code></pre>
<p>Btw, I tried playing the slav with white before switching to the Bogolyubov line as</p>
<pre><code>[FEN &quot;&quot;]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4
</code></pre>
<p>But I didn't like them that much. Maybe because I haven't read about them a lot. As you can see, there are tons of variations in the Bogolyubov line, including the Meran. It's too much! I would really appreciate it if somebody can give me either an easy line against the Semislav that avoids the Slav, or two easy lines against Semislav and slav.</p>
 9684: <p>The easiest to learn is the exchange variation.  It leads to the persistent opening advantage, but doesn't offer much opportunity for a crushing win.  This is the line I played when I had to face the Slav.</p>
<pre><code>
[FEN ""]

[White "?"]
[Black "?"]


1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bf4 Bf5 (6... a6 7. Ne5)
7. e3 e6 8. Bb5 Rc8 9. Qa4 Nd7 10. Bxc6 Rxc6 11. Qxa7 Qc8 12. Qa5 Ra6 13. Qc7
Qa8 14. O-O Bd3 (14... Rc6 15. Nb5) 15. Rfc1 Rc6 16. Nxd5 exd5 17. Rxc6 bxc6 18.
Ne5 Nxe5 19. Qxe5+ Be7 (19... Kd7 20. Qc7+ Ke8 21. Rc1) *
</code></pre>
 28146: <p>I have played Semi-Slav for about a decade as my main opening as black and I also frequently play it as white. I think it's not possible to combine all of your wishes. You would like to play 1.d4, 2.c4, 3.Nc3 but then you don't like 4.e3 or 4.Nf3. There's no good alternative to those on the fourth move (except transposing to exchange variation but that should've been done already earlier).</p>
<p>I suggest you could try 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qb3. Game might continue 4...dxc5 5.Qxc5 Bf5 (5...Bg4 is common as well) 6.g3 e6 7.Bg2. White has a slight but lasting advantage and you don't have to know much theory.</p>
<p>Another a bit more rare option would be 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.g3, after which game might continue 4...Bf5 5.Nc3 6.e6 Nh4. There's not much theory to learn, White has a slight advantage and it's not that simple to play for Black. At your level I would expect black players to be unprepared for this line.</p>
