Slav Defense: Czech Variation, Krause Attack

In the Slav Defense: Czech Variation, Krause Attack, the move 1. d4 is played by White with the intention of gaining control over the center of the board. By advancing the d-pawn two squares, White threatens to occupy the central squares with his pawn chain. This move also helps with the development of the queen's knight, which can be brought into play via c3 after the pawn is pushed to c4. With this move, White begins the process of creating pressure on Black's position right from the opening stage.

The move d5 is a natural response by Black to White's opening move d4. With this move, Black aims to control the central squares of the board and to prevent White from advancing his pawn to d5. This move also allows Black's pieces to gain more space and contributes to a solid pawn structure. By pushing the pawn to d5, Black creates a solid foundation for his position and prepares to develop his pieces in a coherent and harmonious way.

The move c4 by White is known as the Queen's Gambit and aims to gain further control over the central squares of the board. This move attacks Black's pawn on d5, forcing it to either retreat or be captured. If Black captures with his pawn on c4, White can gain a central pawn majority and put pressure on Black's position while developing his pieces. If Black does not capture, White can push the pawn to d5 in the future, gaining an extremely strong central pawn. By pushing the pawn to c4, White not only gains space but also introduces tactics that Black must be careful to avoid.

In the Slav Defense: Czech Variation, Krause Attack, the move c6 by Black is a typical response to White's Queen's Gambit with c4. Black aims to establish a strong center and protect his d5 pawn, potentially creating a pawn chain. This move prepares the freeing move ...dxc4, in which Black captures White's pawn on c4 and gains more control of the center. This move also allows Black to develop his queen knight to c6, from where it can support the central pawn structure and put pressure on White's position. By playing c6, Black also prevents White from occupying the d5 square with his pawn.

The move Nf3 by White is a natural and flexible move that aims to develop the knight and support the pawn on d4 while also preparing the development of the light-squared bishop on f4 or g5. This move also paves the way for the creation of a strong pawn center, which can be further reinforced with moves such as e3 and d5. By developing the knight to f3, White prepares to castle kingside and bring his other pieces into play. Additionally, the knight on f3 provides tactical opportunities against Black's potential pawn breaks in the center.

The move Nf6 is a logical developing move by Black that aims to control the central squares of the board and prepare the development of the pieces to the kingside. This move also puts pressure on White's pawn on e4 and prepares Black to castle kingside. Additionally, by developing the knight to f6, Black creates a solid pawn formation and indirectly defends his d5 pawn. This move also allows Black to fight for control of the center and puts pressure on White's position, as Black can create threats on the queenside and in the center.

In the Slav Defense: Czech Variation, Krause Attack, the move Nc3 by White is a natural developing move that aims to control the central squares and prepare the development of the dark-squared bishop. This move also supports the pawn on d4 and prepares the pawn push to e4, creating a strong pawn center. By developing the knight to c3, White also keeps up the pressure on Black's position and prepares possible tactical operations against Black's pawn chain on the queenside. Additionally, this move prepares the possibility of playing the move dxc5 in the future, opening up lines and forcing the capture with the b-pawn, thus weakening Black's pawn structure.

The move dxc4 by Black is a typical response in the Slav Defense and aims to challenge White's central pawn structure. By capturing the pawn on c4, Black gains control over the central squares and puts pressure on White's position. This move also allows Black to develop his light-squared bishop to f5, putting pressure on White's knight on c3 and creating tactical opportunities. Additionally, this move can induce White to capture back with the pawn on dxc4, further disrupting White's pawn structure and potentially creating isolated pawns. The downside of this move is that it allows White's queen's knight to jump into action with Ne5, which can be tough to deal with for Black.

The move a4 by White is known as the Krause Attack and aims to create pressure on Black's c4 pawn while preventing the development of Black's bishop to b4. This move also expands White's control over the queenside and can be followed up with moves such as b3 and Bb2, further activating the light-squared bishop. Additionally, this move can restrict Black's queenside pawn play and potentially force Black to waste tempo moving the bishop away from a5. By playing a4, White prepares to establish a strong position on the queenside and potentially create threats against Black's king if he fails to deal with the Krause Attack accurately.

In the Slav Defense: Czech Variation, Krause Attack, the move Bf5 by Black aims to develop the bishop and put pressure on White's pawn on c4. This move also supports the dxc4 pawn capture and prepares to castle kingside. Additionally, by developing the bishop to f5, Black creates tactical opportunities such as the threatened capture of White's knight on c3 by the bishop. If White decides to capture the bishop, this can create a strong double-pawn structure for Black that can be used to control central squares. Furthermore, this move also puts pressure on White's newly-established pawn on a4 and can make it difficult for White to continue the Krause Attack plan.

The move Ne5 by White is a common tactical response in the Slav Defense and aims to place the knight on a strong central square while attacking Black's bishop on f5. This move also prepares possible pawn pushes such as e4 or f4, which would strengthen White's position and lead to more control over the center. Additionally, this move can be used to force Black to waste time repositioning the bishop, as it may be threatened by the knight if it moves away from f5. If White's knight is able to capture Black's bishop, this can lead to a weakened kingside pawn structure for Black and potential future attacks on the king. By playing Ne5, White also puts pressure on Black's position and forces Black to make precise and careful moves to maintain a solid position.