So I played a game on FICS yesterday with 1.d4, which I am new to, and my opponent played the Chebanenko slav. I followed what is supposed to be a testing line, but my opponent deviated early and I couldn't find a way to punish it during the game. I still can't even find my way to a slight edge, but I feel like black's play is wrong... Here is the opening of that game:

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I should improve? Can black really equalize this way?

I'd computer check this if I were you. I have a strong feeling that white has to have something pretty good as that center opens up (particularly towards move 12 and beyond), but it's not super easy to find. The computer however will probably clear things right up in an open position like this.

I looked over it briefly with fritz 10 and it seemed to think 13.Rxd5 gave white the edge, however prior to that it thought black slightly was better after 12...fxe5 instead of 12...0-0?! which my opponent played in the game. I don't really trust computers on opening evaluations and I am looking for some human perspectives on this line that I could later verify with a computer if necessary (blunder check basically...).

Well, I thought the 12 Nxd5 line looked good, like white might have something with his well centralized and better developed pieces, but it mostly depends on how the tactics work out, which made me think a computer's work would be easier and less blunder filled than anything I analyzed.

Personally, I don't really like the Bf4 line, and e3 instead of Qd2 looks more solid, but that may be a matter of taste. However I guess that's the only reason why the opening of the center could be good for black. If he survives the tactics then his bishops are outstanding in the wide open lines. As you looked at sometimes black can even sac a pawn to relieve the pressure because his bishops are so good.

You could consider maintaining the tension in the center after ...e5, perhaps with Qg3. Because exd5 seems to be the move you'd more want to play (at worst you'd make a weak d pawn after maybe Qg3 exd4 Nxd4 Nxc5 exd5), rather than free the f8 bishop and now if that bishop moves you can take g7. In your dxe5 lines, Qg3 would be much less effective as black is activating his pieces, but this way you can choose when to open the center and keep black cramped ( how many moves does he have other than liquidation of the center?), and if black liquidates then your knights get to good squares.

7 Qd2 appears rather rarely - 7 e3 is most common, but also 7 Bd2 is played often.

10 Qg3, as suggested by Elubas above, is a reasonable attempt at improvement, but if Black plays 10 ...exd4  11 Nxd4  he can transpose to the Bongcloud Defense with 11 ...Kf7 and cover his weaknesses at e6 & g6 before continuing to liquidate.

I think the basic problem here is that White's plan with c4-c5 is to keep Black cramped, and White can choose the moment for a central pawn break.  In these lines everything is getting blown open so quickly, it deprives White of that option.    In that respect, the early Queen moves are not really helpful.

@ Estragon: I suppose he could do that but for me it's hard to imagine black being equal there. One thing I particularly like about avoiding dxe5 is that it doesn't let that awful f6 pawn remove itself! After that black can get an open f file (consistent with his want of open lines with bishops, that is if white's pieces don't murder him first), instead of horrible blockage and weakness.

Why not try 9.Qh4? Black's Knight cannot participate in a defense of f6 because of your pawns guarding the outposts. 10.e3 will reinforce the d-pawn to make sure that Black's Knight is stuck, and then your Bishop can go to e2 to build up an attack with the Knights and Queen.

Also, a g-pawn advance would help break through the Kingside lines, plus the Rook could go to g1.

That's what I would have played. You had a good oppotunity for an attack.

5. c5?! is wrong already. 5.a5! Stopping queenside expansion and making way for the a-file to open is the correct way to punish the Chebachenko.

Sounds great. Unfortunately though most black players wouldn't choose to play dead until that happens.

It actually looks very artificial to go for the attack like that when black is coming out with ...e5 so soon. We don't even know that black's king will be on the kingside (I guess e8 close enough?)! 9 Qh4 e5, now what?

5 a4 and 5 c5 are a few of many tries against this opening. The point of c5 is to sort of prevent ...b5 (taking en passent gives black weak dark squares) and hope those squares become weak. With ...b5 sort of prevented, it's less likely that the queenside will be blocked so play there is more probable (but central play is very likely too)

If Black opens the e-file, it will only accelerate the attack on his King.

Indeed, I just got Shandorff's book and I am slowly learning the lines and trying his recommendations out. He also recommends 7.Qd2 instead of the more common 7.e3, but when I checked his book after the game I couldn't find anything on 8...f6!?, probably because it is almost never played.

Keep the suggestions coming everyone. Elubas, I will look at your Qg3 idea with fritz when I get time.

I'm not sure if my attacking idea is sound or not, but the impudence of f6 makes me want to try it. haha

Or how about this:

9...e5 10.Qe3 exd4 11.Nxd4 Bxc5 12.exd5+ Qe7 13.Qxe7 Kxe7 14.Ne6 cxd5 15.Nxd5+ Kf7 (Kxe6? Nc7+!) 16.Nxc5 Nxc5 When White has castling options and the threat of Nc7.

"If Black opens the e-file, it will only accelerate the attack on his King."

Well, not if white's pieces are on the kingside, maybe if they were on the e file, which they are not.

10 Qe3 I had never considered. It looks interesting as well. Wonder how that turns out.