Avoiding the Semi-Slav and Slav

I mainly worry about it since it goes hand in hand with the openings I play a lot. And I'd like to win the tournament :)

I get too hard on myself - I probably will be fine.

learn a tricky yet sound e4 opening and play that against him. (or play the reti)

If a player is a 'beast' in slav and semi-slav, then I think it means that player is good in end games and perhaps prefers closed positions. I would play e4 against such players and even play gambits to make the game sharp and tactical. In short, if his strength is end game, then you should try to finish the game in middle game.

I'm interested in what rating this "beast" in slav and semi-slav is. They are really quite different openings. At sub FIDE 2000 level the semi-slav is very often misunderstood and butchered, i.e the OP is getting spooked by something he doesn't need to worry about.

Ok so it is noted opponent is 1600ish, so would concentrate on knowing what to do on in slav, bishop outside pawn chain type positions. 

Dierdre, I've been playing, studying, and teaching chess for about 50 years. I may be wrong from time to time, but it's not from a lack of effort.

I have said several times that move order is important. If white defers playing c4 until the right moment, white can all but dictate the opening against a pure Slav player. Sooner or later, Black will have to either play e6 and White transposes directly into the Catalan, or Bg4, and White plays other systems against it, again avoiding the Slav. 

In short, u propose to avoid the slav to play something maybe more complicated to handle...

I like Slav exchange suggestion : simple and not so easy for black to handle.

Bg5 or not, don't tell me black is confident in this variation! Especially at 1500 rated level, they feel bored, think games go toward the draw, play passive, and... lose.

Really, London system and slave exchange are the good ideas.

U can also consider 1.d4 d5 2.Bg5, which can lead to similar play.

The OP is easily intimidated and is interested in learning something besides the boring stuff he usually does.

I think if I fianchetto early, I'll hold on and am looking at at least a draw. Games start in the evening, and I have two exams today, so I'm guessing I may play sloppily.

It's been years since I've purposefully played e4 to start. I feel like I'd get stuck fast and have a hard time developing my pieces. If I had another week to prepare and didn't have so much other stuff to do, I'd have taken this up without asking.

As a Slav player myself, I agree. After 1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 cxd5 cxd5 4 Bg5 Nc6 or 4...g6 the game is equal and development is fairly easy.

speaking of exchange slav: the following [boor attack, credit FM Carl Boor] line is a lot of fun as a surprise weapon, have had many quick kills and beautiful wins, very few know it though it has grown in popularity of late, for example:

Poucin, I agree, the Exchange Slav isn't at all drawish. I also agree that the London is a good option.  My suggestions were just ways to avoid a well prepared opponent's preparation if that opponent only plays the Slav and Semi-Slav. 

I rather doubt many people who play the Semi-Slav regularly will play the Schlechter Slav (please note the spelling). I like the Schlechter Slav for Black, but only when White has committed to an early e3. 

Avrukh does not mention such a thing, for sure.

He advocates (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6) 4.e3, and meets 4...e6 with 5.b3, both in the first, and second edition of his book.

I believe that Black has equal chances, but I won't tell you how: I play the very same line as white!

Holy crap. I don't even know where to start with this. This is beautiful. Thanks for posting this! I'll look it over during dinner.

Once again, I was talking about tricky transpositions. 

I cited my source earlier, chapter 11 of volume 1. Page 186 deals with c6, which he places within the chapter on the Catalan. The chapter repeatedly deals with c6 lines, and Avrukh himself says there are many move orders to reach the positions he considers in that chapter.

I've cited my sources. 

DeirdreSkye seems to be a silly person. I won't tell you what that is.

Back in the day, we had a confirmed Slav player in our club. He'd been a strong, county player. He was captain of our first team and at that time, Wigan was a very strong club and I needed to do well against him to make the first team. I played the e3 lines against him and so I became quite knowledgeable about the Meran and started to get the upper hand in our games, although there were a lot of draws. In the end I used to enjoy playing against the Meran. As I recall, he played the conservative ... a6 line. The Meran is rather slow or rather fragile and it would be a good idea for the O.P. to book up on it.

This person also played the Richter-Veresov with 4.f3. I did a lot of research, even buying a book on it, since the Veresov is forcing .... it's hard for black to sidestep it. I tried just about every line against the Veresov but found many of them were only drawish. I decided that the best move order is 1. d4-d5 2. Nc3-e6 3. Bg5-Nbd7 4.f3-c6. Seemingly a conservative line but I learned and played Tal's pawn sacrifice. Many GMs seem to think that Tal's line is unsound. Just shows you can be a strong player and still not  have a good judgement for all aspects of chess. Maybe they're just scaredy-cats. Tal played it and I found it was fine. Normally, White returns the pawn by playing e5-e6, giving black a good game. The only problem was that there isn't a forced win for black in all lines where white hangs on to it, but it's extremely difficult to do so and it's difficult to break out of the bind that black gets. Opposite castling, which is forced, means that white's extra pawn doesn't necessarily win, even if he gets that far.

upsh//?top secrets

You haven't been particularly helpful or polite in this thread. There are many things I don't understand, and your actions account for several of them.

Thank you for all thats theory...knowledge is power !!!!!!!