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Slav Defense: Czech Variation is a chess opening that arises after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5. It is classified D17 in the ECO system, and the position after these moves has white to move. The Slav Defense supports the d5 pawn with c6 rather than e6, which keeps the light-squared bishop free — the central point of the whole system, and the reason many players prefer it to the Queen's Gambit Declined.
Black often follows with dxc4 and b5 to hold the pawn temporarily, gaining time to develop the bishop outside the pawn chain. The resulting positions are solid but less passive than the Declined, with the c8 bishop playing an active role.
Players who want the solidity of the Queen's Gambit Declined without locking in the light-squared bishop.
This line is a variation within the Slav Defense family. The strategic ideas above describe the family as a whole; this particular line reaches them by the move order 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5.
Each of these is a named opening reached by playing on from 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5. Open any of them to load the position on the board.