Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense 7…c6 8. Nbd2
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Statistics from Lichess
35,205 games: White 57.1% / Draw 5.0% / Black 37.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 16,73217K | ||
| 5,1745,174 | ||
| 3,1453,145 | ||
| 2,9832,983 | ||
| 1,5071,507 | ||
| 1,3401,340 | ||
| 979979 | ||
| 864864 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.52 White is slightly better
Best play: 8... a5 9. c4 c5 10. Qc2 a4 11. Rad1 axb3 12. axb3 cxd4 13. exd4
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 Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 Bd6 5. O-O O-O 6. b3 Nbd7 7. Bb2 c6 8. Nbd2 (8 moves).
In 35,205 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 57.1%, Black 37.9% and 5.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 8…Re8, in 48% of those games.
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How to answer 8. Nbd2
8…Qc7 scores best for Black: 47.6%, with Black winning 44.4% and White 49.2% of 5,174 games. The most played answer, 8…Re8, scores lowest: 39.4% in 17K games. Stockfish's first choice is 8…a5.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Rubinstein Opening: Semi-Slav Defense (D05)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/rubinstein-opening-semi-slav-defense-3