The semi-slav

The Semi-Slav is a really defensive opening for black facing the queen's gambit.

So tell me what you like about this opening, what you hate about it, main lines, counters, and games you've seen.

yeah it does seem to get aggressive as you continue through the game but the opening is defensive itself.

There is no such thing as defensive when it comes to openings.
It's either tactical, positional or just plain bad :p.

there are so many lines in the semi-slav that I didn't want to post them all

I get that but it is a played move, I don't play it though personally I don' like the semi-slav

Yes entering the Botvinnik is great at club level.

It is the main line but often has surprise value since a lot of people don't even know about it. They expect Be7 or Nbd7, maybe h6.

The botvinnik is a crazy line imo since i dont know much theory about it.

THE BOTVINNIK IS TOTALLY AWESOME!

p.s. this opening goes against several principles

like locking the bishop in your own pawn chain?

well you are eventually going to free it up

it's terrible it blocks in your c8 bishop

play the slav if you even want to play a QGD, but in my opinion, don't.  avoid the queen's gambit.  

i'm not a troll. i'm serious.  black always gets cramped.

what i mean is why not slav. in the slav you do not block in the bishop.

in the meran white has to block the bishop in but as black against the queen's gambit, you don't.  

what i mean is there is a better way to play and that is the slav.  i don't know why people play semi slav.

There are many openings that block the bishop in including the french defense. Then are you saying that all of those openings are bad?? No. These openings are not bad. In the queens gambit declined, you will eventually fianchetto your bishop or break with e5. And surely, the french defense can not be bad.

p.s. However, I am a caro-kann player

or with c5.

Here's something for the uninitiated with the meran. 

The idea behind the game is to prevent any weakness in your position ahead of piece plays which will be supported by a pawn break. Take note that with the pawns on e6, d5, and c6, Black has the option of capturing at c4, and making a pawn break at either e5 or c5. 

In all instances, this is preceded by careful piece preparations. 

White however works to break the coordination of Black's play (Bg5) or work out a similar pawn breaks (e4) which coupled with his better control of the center will tilt the game in his favor. 

Also Black takes the risk of White totally shutting out his game by closing the center with pawns at e5, d4, and c5 (of course you wouldn't allow that if you are aiming for a win!).

The game (supposedly) provides flexibility on the part of black on which side of the board to pounce on (if allowed his way) which if successful could earn him the full point. (There goes why it is a favorite system for black against the Queen's Pawn Opening.

These ideas are what play into the Meran system of the semi-Slav (as much as my limited understanding of the game goes).

So I hope you will stop criticizing the game as a bad choice. 

Thanks!