Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation
The Noteboom Variation is 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 dxc4, named after Daniël Noteboom. Read the guide
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Statistics from Lichess
935,736 games: White 48.0% / Draw 4.6% / Black 47.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 416,970417K | ||
| 266,468266K | ||
| 114,558115K | ||
| Anti-Noteboom Variation | 57,78858K | |
| Anti-Noteboom Gambit | 33,52934K | |
| 31,21331K | ||
| 8,3468,346 | ||
| 3,3293,329 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.37 White is slightly better
Best play: 5. e3 b5 6. a4 Bb4 7. Bd2 a5 8. axb5 Bxc3 9. Bxc3 cxb5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for Black: Black scores 43% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up and 51% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 75K | |
| 1400–1799 | 299K | |
| 1800–2199 | 576K | |
| 2200 and up | 165K | |
| Masters, over the board | 2,682 |
Master games
- Nakamura, H. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Giri, A. – Caruana, F.
- Andreikin, D. – Tomashevsky, E.
- Morozevich, A. – Miton, K.
- Onischuk, A. – Shirov, A.
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
Description
The Noteboom Variation is 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 dxc4, named after Daniël Noteboom. It arises from the "triangle setup" of the Semi-Slav Defense: after 4.Nf3 Black has the extra option of taking the c4-pawn.
A typical line
White can continue 5.a4, 5.e3, 5.e4 or even 5.Bg5. A typical line runs 5.a4 Bb4 6.e3 b5 7.Bd2 a5 8.axb5 Bxc3 9.Bxc3 cxb5 10.b3 Bb7 11.bxc4 b4 12.Bb2 Nf6 13.Bd3 Nbd7 14.O-O O-O. The position is an interesting one: Black has two connected passed pawns on the queenside, while White has the bishop pair and dominates the centre.
Avoiding it
White can only sidestep the Noteboom on move 4. The Marshall Gambit, 4.e4, and 4.e3 are the ways to do it; 4.e3 usually transposes to the Meran but gives up the lines with Bg5. The triangle setup is less suitable for Black when White plays 3.Nf3 instead of 3.Nc3, since 3...e6 can then be met by 4.e3 or 4.Qc2, again avoiding the Noteboom.
The numbers
On Lichess White wins 48.0% of the 935,736 games and Black 47.4%. The result turns with rating: White wins 55.1% under 1400, while from 2200 up Black is ahead, 48.6% against 45.6%. In 2,682 master games over the board 38.3% were drawn, Black won 31.5% and White 30.2%.
Suggest an improvement or report a mistake
How to play against the Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation
5. Bg5 (Anti-Noteboom Variation) scores best for White: 52.5%, with White winning 50.3% and Black 45.2% of 58K games. The most played, 5. a4, scores 50.8% in 417K games, and 5. e4 scores lowest: 48.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. e3.
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: Noteboom Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.032% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.043% (its peak: 0.05% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.043% | 15,458 |
| 2017 | 0.045% | 24,662 |
| 2018 | 0.05% | 39,083 |
| 2019 | 0.046% | 56,774 |
| 2020 | 0.038% | 112,739 |
| 2021 | 0.035% | 137,828 |
| 2022 | 0.036% | 136,345 |
| 2023 | 0.035% | 131,665 |
| 2024 | 0.033% | 118,983 |
| 2025 | 0.032% | 110,237 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.033% | 35,674 |
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 (5)
- D31 Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Slav, Abrahams Variation 5. a4 Bb4 6. e3 b5 7. Bd2 a5
- D31 Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Slav, Koomen Variation 5. e3 b5 6. a4 Bb4 7. Bd2 Qe7
- D31 Abrahams Variation 5. a4 Bb4 6. e3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 b5 8. axb5 cxb5
- D31 Anti-Noteboom Gambit 5. g3
- D31 Anti-Noteboom Variation 5. Bg5
All 6 named lines that continue from here
Sources
- History and theory: adapted from the Wikipedia article Semi-Slav Defense, version of 26 October 2026, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Results: Lichess opening explorer, figures collected from September to November 2026.
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation (D31)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/semi-slav-defense-noteboom-variation