Naomi Bauer: Level 90 Chess Rival (2340 ELO)

Queen tier · Endgame Maestro · plays the Slav Defense

How Naomi plays

Naomi is an endgame specialist who plays the opening and middlegame with one goal in mind: reaching an ending she understands better than you do. At 51, from Mexico, she has a deep feel for rook endings and minor-piece battles, and the Slav suits her because its solid structure carries over cleanly into simplified positions. With the light-squared bishop developed outside the pawn chain, she rarely ends up with a bad piece.

She is happiest when queens are off and the board thins out. In those positions she squeezes small advantages for dozens of moves and holds difficult positions with stubborn accuracy. What she tolerates less well is a sharp middlegame with kings under attack and many pieces on the board. Naomi prefers to simplify, and an opponent who keeps the tension and avoids trades forces her into the type of game she tries hardest to avoid.

At 2340 ELO, Naomi plays at master strength. Outright blunders are rare, so you need a sound opening, a clear plan and accurate calculation in sharp moments. A draw against her is a good result; a win means you played a very good game.

Slav Defense: the line Naomi plays

Naomi plays the Slav Defense: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6. In the main book line they take on c4, develop the bishop to f5 and then put the other bishop on b4 after you win the pawn back. The structure is rock solid and the light-squared bishop is never trapped behind its pawns.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4

Learn it move by move: Slav Defense walkthrough

How to beat Naomi

  1. Avoid the Exchange Slav against her. Its symmetrical endings are her home ground, and the small pull White gets there is exactly the kind of edge she neutralises.
  2. Keep queens on and play for e4-e5, kicking her f6 knight and gaining kingside space. A middlegame initiative is your best chance before she can trade down.
  3. If an ending is unavoidable, enter it with an active rook or a space advantage, not merely a healthier structure. Passive endings are where her technique is most dangerous.
  4. The Exchange Slav (3.cxd5 cxd5) gives a symmetrical structure where small advantages count, which suits you if you are the better endgame player. In the main lines, win back c4 with e3 and Bxc4, castle, and aim for e4 to claim the centre.
  5. The book only answers 1.d4. Open 1.e4 and she is out of book at once.

What beating Naomi teaches you

Naomi trains you to judge which positions to simplify and which to keep complex, so the opponent's best phase never arrives.

Neighbours on the ladder