Caissa Codex
D31

Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation, Anti-Noteboom Variation

Chess diagram: Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation, Anti-Noteboom Variation after 5. Bg5

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Statistics from Lichess

57,790 games: White 50.2% / Draw 4.5% / Black 45.3%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
22,47822K
Belyavsky Line 13,96914K
Semi-Slav Defense Accepted 10,40110K
3,3143,314
3,2093,209
1,6981,698
1,4741,474
400400

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026

Engine evaluation

−0.09 The position is about equal

Best play: 5... Be7 6. Bxe7 Nxe7 7. a4 Nd5 8. a5 c5 9. e4 Nb4 10. dxc5

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

Overview

Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation, Anti-Noteboom Variation (ECO D31, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. Bg5 (5 moves).

In 57,790 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.2%, Black 45.3% and 4.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Be7, in 39% of those games.

It continues into one named variation, Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation, Anti-Noteboom Variation, Belyavsky Line.

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How to play against the Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation, Anti-Noteboom Variation

5…Qc7 scores best for Black: 52.7%, with Black winning 50.5% and White 45.0% of 3,314 games. The most played, 5…Be7, scores 50.1% in 22K games, and 5…Nf6 scores lowest: 47.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 5…Be7.

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 5. Bg5, the position after Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation also goes on to:

Transpositions

From here, a move transposes into another named line:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation, Anti-Noteboom Variation (D31)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/semi-slav-defense-noteboom-variation-anti-noteboom-variation

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