Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
213,983 games: White 54.5% / Draw 6.6% / Black 38.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 66,76167K | ||
| 51,60752K | ||
| 51,05951K | ||
| 20,11720K | ||
| 4,5944,594 | ||
| 3,7583,758 | ||
| 3,6913,691 | ||
| Queen's Gambit Declined: Spielmann Variation | 3,0343,034 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.27 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... c5 6. cxd5 exd5 7. b3 Nc6 8. Bb2 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Bb4 10. a3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 57% under 1400, 59% at 2200 and up and 59% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 11K | |
| 1400–1799 | 50K | |
| 1800–2199 | 120K | |
| 2200 and up | 60K | |
| Masters, over the board | 2,607 |
Master games
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Kasparov, G. – Kramnik, V.
- Keymer, V. – Carlsen, M.
- Gelfand, B. – Mamedyarov, S.
- Radjabov, T. – Anand, V.
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: Quiet Variation (ECO D30, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Slav Defense: Quiet Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nbd2 (5 moves).
In 213,983 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 54.5%, Black 38.8% and 6.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Nbd7, in 31% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played is Queen's Gambit Declined: Stonewall Variation. In all, 3 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation
The most played answer, 5…Nbd7, also scores best for Black: 42.8%, with Black winning 39.1% and White 53.4% of 67K games. Of the main answers, 5…Bb4 scores lowest: 39.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 5…c5.
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
Popularity by year
The Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation peaked in 2017 at 0.01% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.0083% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0085% | 3,045 |
| 2017 | 0.01% | 5,518 |
| 2018 | 0.0098% | 7,714 |
| 2019 | 0.0096% | 11,932 |
| 2020 | 0.0088% | 25,626 |
| 2021 | 0.0072% | 28,018 |
| 2022 | 0.0081% | 30,371 |
| 2023 | 0.0082% | 30,708 |
| 2024 | 0.008% | 28,778 |
| 2025 | 0.0083% | 28,806 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0085% | 9,292 |
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 (2)
Transpositions
All 3 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation (D30)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/semi-slav-defense-quiet-variation