Caissa Codex
D44

Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation, Lilienthal Variation

Chess diagram: Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation, Lilienthal Variation after 11. g3

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Statistics from Lichess

32,270 games: White 46.5% / Draw 5.0% / Black 48.4%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
18,20218K
8,9178,917
1,7491,749
1,6481,648
643643
278278
221221
219219

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.76 White is better

Best play: 11... Qb6 12. exf6 Bb7 13. Bg2 O-O-O 14. Qe2 c5 15. dxc5 Nxc5 16. O-O

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation, Lilienthal Variation (ECO D44, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3 (11 moves).

In 32,270 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.5%, Black 48.4% and 5.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 11…Bb7, in 56% of those games.

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How to play against the Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation, Lilienthal Variation

11…Qa5 scores best for Black: 56.2%, with Black winning 54.2% and White 41.7% of 1,749 games. The most played, 11…Bb7, scores 51.2% in 18K games, and 11…Qb6 scores lowest: 50.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 11…Qb6.

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. “Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation, Lilienthal Variation (D44)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/semi-slav-defense-botvinnik-variation-lilienthal-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/semi-slav-defense-botvinnik-variation-lilienthal-variation