Semi-Slav Defense: Rubinstein System
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Statistics from Lichess
9,498 games: White 47.9% / Draw 5.7% / Black 46.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 4,6754,675 | ||
| 2,4132,413 | ||
| 938938 | ||
| 592592 | ||
| 283283 | ||
| 170170 | ||
| 153153 | ||
| 7272 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.02 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... Nxe5 7. dxe5 Nd7 8. f4 a5 9. Be2 dxc4 10. a4 Bb4 11. O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Semi-Slav Defense: Rubinstein System (ECO D45, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Semi-Slav Defense: Accelerated Move Order, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Ne5 (6 moves).
In 9,498 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.9%, Black 46.4% and 5.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Nxe5, in 49% of those games.
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: Rubinstein System
6…Bb4 scores best for Black: 53.2%, with Black winning 50.0% and White 43.6% of 592 games. The most played, 6…Nxe5, scores 51.0% in 4,675 games, and 6…Bd6 scores lowest: 46.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 6…Nxe5.
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Semi-Slav Defense: Rubinstein System (D45)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/semi-slav-defense-rubinstein-system