Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line 9…O-O 10. Bb2
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Statistics from Lichess
12,912 games: White 50.5% / Draw 7.5% / Black 41.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 6,5886,588 | ||
| 2,3052,305 | ||
| 1,9461,946 | ||
| 599599 | ||
| 582582 | ||
| 281281 | ||
| 225225 | ||
| 207207 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.31 White is slightly better
Best play: 10... Re8 11. Rfd1 h6 12. h3 c5 13. Ne5 cxd4 14. exd4 Rc8 15. Qe2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line (ECO D46, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 b6 7. b3 Bb7 8. Bd3 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. Bb2 (10 moves).
In 12,912 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.5%, Black 41.9% and 7.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 10…Rc8, in 51% of those games.
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How to answer 10. Bb2
10…h6 scores best for Black: 48.2%, with Black winning 44.1% and White 47.8% of 1,946 games. The most played, 10…Rc8, scores 46.1% in 6,588 games, and 10…c5 scores lowest: 42.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 10…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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line (D46)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/semi-slav-defense-main-line-3