Slav Defense: Geller Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
447,781 games: White 48.0% / Draw 4.6% / Black 47.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 334,099334K | ||
| 68,31268K | ||
| 28,37628K | ||
| 4,4194,419 | ||
| 2,2422,242 | ||
| 2,1622,162 | ||
| 1,8671,867 | ||
| 1,8161,816 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.07 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... b5 6. Be2 e6 7. O-O Bb7 8. a4 a6 9. b3 b4 10. e5
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 58% under 1400, 52% at 2200 and up and 53% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 69K | |
| 1400–1799 | 165K | |
| 1800–2199 | 258K | |
| 2200 and up | 89K | |
| Masters, over the board | 888 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Yu Yangyi
- Aronian, L. – Kramnik, V.
- Nakamura, H. – Carlsen, M.
- Salem, A. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Salem, A. – Shankland, S.
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: Geller Gambit (ECO D15, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a gambit in the Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4 (5 moves).
In 447,781 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.0%, Black 47.5% and 4.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…b5, in 75% of those games.
It continues into one named variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Slav Defense: Geller Gambit
The most played answer, 5…b5, also scores best for Black: 51.9%, with Black winning 49.6% and White 45.9% of 334K games. Of the main answers, 5…e6 scores lowest: 38.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5…b5.
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: Geller Gambit peaked in 2018 at 0.023% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.016% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.019% | 6,788 |
| 2017 | 0.02% | 10,923 |
| 2018 | 0.023% | 17,790 |
| 2019 | 0.02% | 25,224 |
| 2020 | 0.018% | 53,174 |
| 2021 | 0.017% | 65,471 |
| 2022 | 0.017% | 64,780 |
| 2023 | 0.017% | 63,778 |
| 2024 | 0.016% | 58,686 |
| 2025 | 0.016% | 55,416 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.016% | 18,045 |
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: Geller Gambit (D15)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/slav-defense-geller-gambit