Caissa Codex
D31

Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit, Main Line

Chess diagram: Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit, Main Line after 6. Bd2

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Statistics from Lichess

72,554 games: White 50.0% / Draw 5.8% / Black 44.1%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
60,81261K
9,4439,443
929929
521521
274274
233233
100100
8484

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.28 The position is about equal

Best play: 6... Qxd4 7. Bxb4 Qxe4+ 8. Be2 Na6 9. Bd6 Qxg2 10. Qd2 Nf6 11. Bf3

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

Overview

Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit, Main Line (ECO D31, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a gambit in the Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 (6 moves).

In 72,554 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.0%, Black 44.1% and 5.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Qxd4, in 84% of those games.

It continues into one named variation, Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit, Tolush Variation.

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How to play against the Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit, Main Line

The most played answer, 6…Qxd4, also scores best for Black: 47.8%, with Black winning 45.0% and White 49.5% of 61K games. Of the main answers, 6…Bxd2+ scores lowest: 44.7%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…Qxd4.

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

Variations (1)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 4…dxe4 5. Nxe4 Bb4+ 6. Bd2, the position after Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit, Main Line (D31)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/semi-slav-defense-marshall-gambit-main-line

https://chesscodex.org/openings/semi-slav-defense-marshall-gambit-main-line