Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
250,873 games: White 50.9% / Draw 7.0% / Black 42.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 153,836154K | ||
| 44,05944K | ||
| 12,50713K | ||
| 11,79112K | ||
| 11,45211K | ||
| 9,1569,156 | ||
| 2,0152,015 | ||
| 1,6111,611 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.18 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O e5 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. e4 dxe4 11. Nxe4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1,694 | |
| 1400–1799 | 17K | |
| 1800–2199 | 104K | |
| 2200 and up | 134K | |
| Masters, over the board | 21K |
Master games
- Mamedyarov, S. – Carlsen, M.
- Giri, A. – Carlsen, M.
- So, W. – Carlsen, M.
- Giri, A. – Carlsen, M.
- Giri, A. – Carlsen, M.
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: Stoltz Variation (ECO D45, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 (6 moves).
In 250,873 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.9%, Black 42.1% and 7.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Bd6, in 61% of those games.
It branches into 3 named variations; the most played are Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense and Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense. In all, 6 named lines continue from it.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation
The most played answer, 6…Bd6, also scores best for Black: 46.9%, with Black winning 43.2% and White 49.4% of 154K games. Of the main answers, 6…Be7 scores lowest: 43.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…Bd6.
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: Stoltz Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.0082% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.012% (its peak: 0.013% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.012% | 4,272 |
| 2017 | 0.013% | 7,243 |
| 2018 | 0.013% | 10,410 |
| 2019 | 0.012% | 14,501 |
| 2020 | 0.012% | 36,337 |
| 2021 | 0.0096% | 37,500 |
| 2022 | 0.0094% | 35,306 |
| 2023 | 0.0088% | 33,127 |
| 2024 | 0.0086% | 30,987 |
| 2025 | 0.0082% | 28,535 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0078% | 8,554 |
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 (3)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation (D45)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/semi-slav-defense-stoltz-variation