Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation 7. d4 Nbd7
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Statistics from Lichess
42,634 games: White 47.6% / Draw 6.8% / Black 45.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense | 22,11322K | |
| Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation | 12,49912K | |
| Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation | 2,8302,830 | |
| 1,4811,481 | ||
| 1,4271,427 | ||
| 950950 | ||
| 480480 | ||
| 275275 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.17 The position is about equal
Best play: 8. Be2 b6 9. O-O Bb7 10. a4 a5 11. Bd3 Qe7 12. Ne1 Rfe8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation (ECO D45, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a chess opening that starts 1. Nf3 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. b3 Bd6 6. Bb2 O-O 7. d4 Nbd7.
In 42,634 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.6%, Black 45.6% and 6.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. Bd3, in 52% of those games.
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How to answer 7…Nbd7
8. Be2 (Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation) scores best for White: 54.0%, with White winning 50.4% and Black 42.4% of 12K games. The most played, 8. Bd3, scores 50.8% in 22K games, and 8. Qc2 scores lowest: 50.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 8. Be2.
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation (D45)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/semi-slav-defense-normal-variation-2