The Meran Variation, Rellstab Attack is a variation of the Semi-Slav Defense, catalogued as ECO D49. The line runs 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5 cxd4 11. Nxb5 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 axb5 13. O-O Qd5 14. Qe2 Ba6 15. Bg5, reaching the position shown below after 29 half-moves.
Black holds the centre with pawns on d4. Development is level at four minor pieces each, and Black is up a pawn of material. It is Black to move after 15 moves. White has castled while Black’s king is still uncommitted; Black’s b-file pawn is isolated; the c-file file is fully open.
On the Semi-Slav Defense generally: A complex defense combining ideas from the Slav and Queen's Gambit Declined.
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The Meran Variation, Rellstab Attack goes 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5 cxd4 11. Nxb5 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 axb5 13. O-O Qd5 14. Qe2 Ba6 15. Bg5. It is a variation of the Semi-Slav Defense and is catalogued as ECO D49.
The Meran Variation, Rellstab Attack is ECO D49. ECO codes group openings by their move order, so nearby codes cover closely related lines of the Semi-Slav Defense.
Stockfish evaluates the position after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5 cxd4 11. Nxb5 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 axb5 13. O-O Qd5 14. Qe2 Ba6 15. Bg5 at +0.15 at depth 18, which is balanced. Engine evaluation is only a starting point — at club level the practical value of a line is mostly about whether you know its plans better than your opponent does.
Black holds the centre with pawns on d4. Development is level at four minor pieces each, and Black is up a pawn of material. It is Black to move. White has castled while Black’s king is still uncommitted; Black’s b-file pawn is isolated; the c-file file is fully open.