Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Slav, Abrahams Variation
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
38,941 games: White 43.4% / Draw 6.0% / Black 50.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 31,39631K | ||
| 2,5122,512 | ||
| 1,9081,908 | ||
| 1,2491,249 | ||
| 1,0001,000 | ||
| 233233 | ||
| 229229 | ||
| 207207 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.25 The position is about equal
Best play: 8. axb5 Bxc3 9. Bxc3 cxb5 10. b3 Bb7 11. bxc4 b4 12. Bb2 Nf6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Slav, Abrahams Variation (ECO D31, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a declined gambit in the Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. a4 Bb4 6. e3 b5 7. Bd2 a5 (7 moves).
In 38,941 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 43.4%, Black 50.7% and 6.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. axb5, in 81% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Slav, Abrahams Variation
8. Ne5 scores best for White: 49.9%, with White winning 46.5% and Black 46.7% of 2,512 games. The most played answer, 8. axb5, scores lowest: 46.6% in 31K games. Stockfish's first choice is 8. axb5.
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 Declined: Semi-Slav, Abrahams Variation (D31)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-semi-slav-abrahams-variation