Caissa Codex
D45

Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation

Chess diagram: Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation after 5…Nbd7

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Statistics from Lichess

1,390,860 games: White 47.9% / Draw 6.3% / Black 45.9%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line 591,994592K
Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation 231,538232K
177,337177K
116,912117K
76,20376K
75,07775K
50,22950K
26,03126K

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 20, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.27 The position is about equal

Best play: 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O dxc4 9. Bxc4 b5 10. Bd3 Bb7

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

By rating

Rating changes little here: Black scores 48% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up, and 46% in master games (wins plus half the draws).

PlayersGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
Under 1400 72K
1400–1799 354K
1800–2199 783K
2200 and up 370K
Masters, over the board 35K

Master games

Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026

Overview

Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation (ECO D45, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 (5 moves).

In 1,390,860 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.9%, Black 45.9% and 6.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Bd3, in 43% of those games.

It branches into 3 named variations; the most played are Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line and Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation. In all, 25 named lines continue from it.

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How to play against the Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation

6. Qc2 (Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation) scores best for White: 54.5%, with White winning 50.9% and Black 41.9% of 232K games. The most played, 6. Bd3, scores 51.8% in 592K games, and 6. cxd5 scores lowest: 46.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. Qc2.

Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings

Popularity by year

The Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.044% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.075%.

Numbers by year
YearShare of gamesGames
20160.075%26,871
20170.082%44,883
20180.081%63,712
20190.068%85,158
20200.064%186,960
20210.052%205,252
20220.052%194,996
20230.05%186,532
20240.047%168,411
20250.044%153,622
2026 (Jan–Apr)0.043%47,518

Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling

Variations (3)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 5…Nbd7, the position after Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line also goes on to:

Transpositions

From here, a move transposes into another named line:

All 25 named lines that continue from here

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation (D45)”. Lichess data as of 20 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/semi-slav-defense-normal-variation

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