Chess Codex
Tree path 6 levels Queen's Pawn Game › Queen's Gambit › Slav Defense › Modern Line › Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation › Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack
  1. Chess Codex
  2. Queen's Pawn Game D00
  3. Queen's Gambit D06
  4. Slav Defense D10
  5. Modern Line D11
  6. Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation D15
  7. Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack D15 you are here
D15

Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack

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Overview

Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack is a variation within the Closed & Semi-Closed Games family, indexed as ECO D15.

The Closed & Semi-Closed Games group covers closed and semi-closed games — 1.d4 systems characterised by long strategic manoeuvring rather than early tactics.

Play reaches this position via 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4, after 8 plies of opening development.

It is a variation of Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation, which itself descends from the root opening Queen's Pawn Game.

It branches into 3 notable variations — Slav Defense: Alapin Variation, Slav Defense: Alekhine Variation, Slav Defense: Geller Gambit.

In total, the branch covers 20 sub-variations across all depths.

Step through the moves on the interactive board below, review the live Lichess statistics, or play this position against Stockfish at one of six difficulty levels.

ECO code
D15
Group
Closed & Semi-Closed Games (D)
Plies
8
Parent
Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation
Direct variations
3
Total in subtree
20

This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.

Statistics from Lichess

1,744,878 games · White 48.5% / Draw 5.8% / Black 45.8%

MovesGamesW / D / B
a4909,243
e4433,625
e3175,806
Bg5109,568
g354,992
Bf432,551
Ne520,628
a33,135

Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 01:55:24

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Variations (3)

Related variations at the same level

Sister lines that share the same parent Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation:

Show all 20 sub-variations (full subtree)

https://chesscodex.org/openings/slav-defense-two-knights-attack