Caissa Codex
D16

Slav Defense: Alapin Variation

Chess diagram: Slav Defense: Alapin Variation after 5. a4

Type a move and press Enter: e4, Nf3, O-O, or from and to squares like g1f3 (e7e8q to promote). The board is also played with the mouse.

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Statistics from Lichess

950,158 games: White 48.5% / Draw 6.6% / Black 45.0%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
Slav Defense: Czech Variation 612,111612K
Slav Defense: Steiner Variation 94,16594K
Slav Defense: Soultanbeieff Variation 72,74573K
54,12254K
21,22021K
18,18918K
Slav Defense: Smyslov Variation 15,33615K
13,99914K

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.31 White is slightly better

Best play: 5... Bf5 6. Ne5 Qc7 7. Nxc4 Nbd7 8. g3 e5 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Bf4

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 worse this line does for White: White scores 62% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up and 58% in master games (wins plus half the draws).

PlayersGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
Under 1400 7,561
1400–1799 94K
1800–2199 542K
2200 and up 334K
Masters, over the board 17K

Master games

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

Slav Defense: Alapin Variation (ECO D16, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 (5 moves).

In 950,158 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.5%, Black 45.0% and 6.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Bf5, in 64% of those games.

It branches into 4 named variations; the most played are Slav Defense: Czech Variation and Slav Defense: Soultanbeieff Variation. In all, 16 named lines continue from it.

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How to play against the Slav Defense: Alapin Variation

The most played answer, 5…Bf5 (Slav Defense: Czech Variation), also scores best for Black: 49.9%, with Black winning 46.3% and White 46.5% of 612K games. Of the main answers, 5…e6 scores lowest: 43.0%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5…Bf5.

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 Slav Defense: Alapin Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.034% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.045% (its peak: 0.055% in 2018).

Numbers by year
YearShare of gamesGames
20160.045%15,910
20170.046%25,515
20180.055%42,900
20190.045%56,260
20200.042%122,400
20210.034%134,086
20220.034%126,485
20230.034%129,059
20240.035%124,232
20250.034%118,525
2026 (Jan–Apr)0.035%37,929

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 (4)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 5. a4, the position after Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack also goes on to:

All 16 named lines that continue from here

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Slav Defense: Alapin Variation (D16)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/slav-defense-alapin-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/slav-defense-alapin-variation