Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
18,864 games: White 54.7% / Draw 5.2% / Black 40.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 4,9104,910 | ||
| 4,4524,452 | ||
| 3,4683,468 | ||
| 2,4782,478 | ||
| 1,3871,387 | ||
| 839839 | ||
| 450450 | ||
| 396396 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.06 The position is about equal
Best play: 7... b6 8. Ne5 Bb7 9. Qe2 a5 10. c4 a4 11. bxa4 Ne4 12. Rd1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense (ECO D05, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 Bd6 5. O-O O-O 6. b3 Nbd7 7. Bb2 (7 moves).
In 18,864 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 54.7%, Black 40.2% and 5.2% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…Re8, in 26% of those games.
It continues into one named variation. In all, 2 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 7. Bb2
7…Qe7 scores best for Black: 49.9%, with Black winning 45.7% and White 45.9% of 1,387 games. The most played, 7…Re8, scores 42.1% in 4,910 games, and 7…c6 scores lowest: 41.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 7…b6.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Variations (1)
All 2 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense (D05)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/rubinstein-opening-semi-slav-defense