And the Good News Is By Gary Lane What to do when White does not want to play in the spirit of the Semi-Slav? This the question posed by Mike Baird from Scotland. He writes, "I have attempted to master the Semi-Slav, but alas I do not always have the opportunity to play the variations I have learned. A new problem is the plan of a queenside fianchetto when I no longer know the right moment to play ...dxc4. Can you help?" The Semi-Slav is certainly a favourite amongst tournament campaigners and the good news is that you can adapt the variations to suit your needs. In this case against a queenside fianchetto, you should develop in the usual manner associated with the opening, but … [Read more...]