Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense 7…O-O 8. Bd3
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Statistics from Lichess
29,035 games: White 47.3% / Draw 6.8% / Black 45.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 9,6169,616 | ||
| 4,6734,673 | ||
| 3,7913,791 | ||
| 3,7803,780 | ||
| 2,9102,910 | ||
| 1,3571,357 | ||
| 1,2901,290 | ||
| 433433 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.10 The position is about equal
Best play: 8... Re8 9. h3 e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. cxd5 Nxf3+ 12. Qxf3 Be5 13. O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense (ECO D46, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. b3 Bd6 7. Bb2 O-O 8. Bd3 (8 moves).
In 29,035 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.3%, Black 45.8% and 6.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 8…Re8, in 33% of those games.
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How to answer 8. Bd3
8…Qe7 scores best for Black: 51.7%, with Black winning 47.9% and White 44.5% of 3,780 games. The most played, 8…Re8, scores 50.6% in 9,616 games, and 8…b6 scores lowest: 48.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 8…Re8.
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense (D46)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/semi-slav-defense-chigorin-defense-4