Slav Defense: Steiner Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
95,978 games: White 48.4% / Draw 5.6% / Black 46.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 45,63046K | ||
| 31,64532K | ||
| 9,6919,691 | ||
| 5,0855,085 | ||
| 2,1682,168 | ||
| 960960 | ||
| 589589 | ||
| 6060 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.69 White is slightly better
Best play: 6. Ne5 Bh5 7. f3 Nd5 8. e4 Nb4 9. Be3 f6 10. Nxc4 Bf7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Slav Defense: Steiner Variation (ECO D16, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Slav Defense: Alapin Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bg4 (5 moves).
In 95,978 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.4%, Black 46.0% and 5.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Ne5, in 48% of those games.
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: Steiner Variation
6. e3 scores best for White: 52.1%, with White winning 49.0% and Black 44.8% of 32K games. The most played, 6. Ne5, scores 50.8% in 46K games, and 6. Bg5 scores lowest: 50.3%. 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: Steiner Variation (D16)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/slav-defense-steiner-variation