Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense 8…Re8 9. Bd3
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Statistics from Lichess
4,167 games: White 48.8% / Draw 6.4% / Black 44.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,7171,717 | ||
| 655655 | ||
| 558558 | ||
| 547547 | ||
| 205205 | ||
| 181181 | ||
| 157157 | ||
| 4646 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.01 The position is about equal
Best play: 9... e5 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 12. dxe5 Bxe5 13. Ne2 d4 14. e4
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: Stoltz Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. b3 O-O 8. Bb2 Re8 9. Bd3 (9 moves).
In 4,167 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.8%, Black 44.8% and 6.4% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…e5, in 41% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 9. Bd3
9…h6 scores best for Black: 52.8%, with Black winning 49.6% and White 44.0% of 655 games. The most played, 9…e5, scores 49.9% in 1,717 games, and 9…Nf8 scores lowest: 40.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 9…e5.
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: Chigorin Defense (D46)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/semi-slav-defense-chigorin-defense-6