Slav Defense:Chebanenko Variation

Named after Vyacheslav Chebanenko: the quiet ...a6 prepares ...b5 and keeps Black’s options open.

It is reached after 8 moves: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6. It is a line of the Slav Defense.

White is to move and has 35 legal moves. Over the next four moves — two for each side — the game can branch into 1,117,817 different games. Those games reach 360,150 different positions: most positions can be reached in more than one way, 3.1 on average.

The Lichess opening list names 2 further lines after this position, such as Advance System (5. c5).

The same moves can be played in 288 different legal orders that all reach this position. For example 1. c4 d5 2. d4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6, which starts as the English Opening.