Queen's Gambit Accepted: Slav Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
154,763 games: White 58.7% / Draw 4.3% / Black 37.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 65,38065K | ||
| 31,22031K | ||
| 20,43620K | ||
| 15,77216K | ||
| 13,43913K | ||
| 3,0503,050 | ||
| 1,6241,624 | ||
| 1,5061,506 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.36 White is slightly better
Best play: 4. a4 c6 5. axb5 cxb5 6. Nc3 Qb6 7. Bd2 e6 8. b3 Bb4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Slav Gambit (ECO D21, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a gambit in the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 b5 (3 moves).
In 154,763 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 58.7%, Black 37.0% and 4.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. a4, in 42% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Slav Gambit
The most played answer, 4. a4, also scores best for White: 63.7%, with White winning 61.5% and Black 34.2% of 65K games. Of the main answers, 4. e4 scores lowest: 54.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. a4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Queen's Gambit Accepted: Slav Gambit (D21)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-accepted-slav-gambit