Slav Defense: Chebanenko Variation 5. e3 Bf5
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Statistics from Lichess
119,830 games: White 45.8% / Draw 7.5% / Black 46.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 30,40630K | ||
| 21,61322K | ||
| 20,36820K | ||
| 14,99715K | ||
| 5,6125,612 | ||
| 5,1765,176 | ||
| 4,1774,177 | ||
| 3,8383,838 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.43 White is slightly better
Best play: 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Qb3 Qc7 8. cxd5 Nxe5 9. dxe5 Nxd5 10. Nxd5 cxd5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Slav Defense: Chebanenko Variation (ECO D15, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Slav Defense: Chebanenko Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 5. e3 Bf5 (5 moves).
In 119,830 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.8%, Black 46.7% and 7.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Bd3, in 25% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 5…Bf5
6. Qb3 scores best for White: 51.1%, with White winning 47.8% and Black 45.5% of 20K games. The most played, 6. Bd3, scores 50.0% in 30K games, and 6. Be2 scores lowest: 47.7%. Stockfish's first choice is 6. Ne5.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Slav Defense: Chebanenko Variation (D15)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/slav-defense-chebanenko-variation-2