Slav Defense 3. Nc3 dxc4
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Statistics from Lichess
2,132,867 games: White 52.7% / Draw 4.4% / Black 42.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 750,529751K | ||
| Slav Gambit, Alekhine Attack | 694,925695K | |
| 314,235314K | ||
| 243,345243K | ||
| 84,77885K | ||
| 11,77712K | ||
| 11,63212K | ||
| 7,7117,711 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.24 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. e3 b5 5. a4 b4 6. Ne4 Qd5 7. Nd2 c3 8. bxc3 bxc3
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 42% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up and 44% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 702K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.6M | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.2M | |
| 2200 and up | 90K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,384 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Nakamura, H.
- Kasparov, G. – Svidler, P.
- Mamedyarov, S. – Nakamura, H.
- Anand, V. – Vallejo Pons, F.
- Mamedyarov, S. – Nakamura, H.
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 26, 2026
Overview
Slav Defense (ECO D10, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Slav Defense, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 dxc4 (3 moves).
In 2,132,867 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.7%, Black 42.9% and 4.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. a4, in 35% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Slav Defense: Slav Gambit, Alekhine Attack.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 3…dxc4
The most played answer, 4. a4, also scores best for White: 55.9%, with White winning 53.6% and Black 41.9% of 751K games. Of the main answers, 4. e4 scores lowest: 53.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. 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
This line has lost ground since 2016: 0.079% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.11%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.11% | 39,106 |
| 2017 | 0.1% | 54,819 |
| 2018 | 0.093% | 73,178 |
| 2019 | 0.088% | 109,937 |
| 2020 | 0.081% | 236,538 |
| 2021 | 0.08% | 312,190 |
| 2022 | 0.083% | 310,049 |
| 2023 | 0.081% | 304,831 |
| 2024 | 0.081% | 288,875 |
| 2025 | 0.079% | 275,439 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.08% | 87,242 |
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 (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Slav Defense (D10)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/slav-defense-3