Semi-Slav Defense
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6
5. e3+0.35
White is slightly better. Stockfish 18, depth 18.
Analyze this positionIn the Semi-Slav Defense (D43), reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6, Stockfish 18 recommends 5. e3 for White. White is slightly better (+0.35).
Top engine moves
- +0.355. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bb7 9. O-O b4
- +0.275. g3 dxc4 6. Bg2 Nbd7 7. O-O Bd6 8. a4 a5 9. Qc2 Qe7
- +0.265. Bg5 Nbd7 6. e3 Qa5 7. Qb3 Bb4 8. Bxf6 Nxf6 9. Bd3 Ne4
All Semi-Slav Defense variations (48)
- Quiet VariationD301. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nbd2
- Accelerated Move OrderD311. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6
- Anti-Noteboom, Stonewall VariationD311. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e3 f5
- Gunderam GambitD311. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4 dxe4 5. f3
- Marshall GambitD311. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e4
- Noteboom VariationD311. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 dxc4
- Anti-Moscow GambitD431. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4
- Hastings VariationD431. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. Qb3
- Moscow VariationD431. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6
- Botvinnik VariationD441. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4
- Alatortsev SystemD441. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 Nd5
- Ekstrom VariationD441. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. exf6 gxh4 10. Ne5
- Lilienthal VariationD441. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3
- Szabo VariationD441. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. Qf3
- Accelerated Meran VariationD451. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 a6
- Main LineD451. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3
- Normal VariationD451. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7
- Rubinstein SystemD451. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Ne5
- Stoltz VariationD451. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2
- Stonewall DefenseD451. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Ne4 6. Bd3 f5
- Bogoljubow VariationD461. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Be7
- Chigorin DefenseD461. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Bd6
- Romih VariationD461. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Bb4
- Meran VariationD471. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5
- Lundin VariationD471. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 b4
- Wade VariationD471. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bb7
- Old VariationD481. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5
- Pirc VariationD481. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 b4
- Reynolds' VariationD481. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. d5
- Blumenfeld VariationD491. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5 cxd4 11. Nxb5
- Rabinovich VariationD491. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5 cxd4 11. Nxb5 Ng4
- Rellstab AttackD491. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5 cxd4 11. Nxb5 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 axb5 13. O-O Qd5 14. Qe2 Ba6 15. Bg5
- Sozin VariationD491. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5 cxd4 11. Nxb5 Nxe5
- Stahlberg VariationD491. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5 cxd4 11. Nxb5 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 axb5 13. Qf3
- Semi-Meran VariationD471. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4
Frequently asked questions
What is the best move in the Semi-Slav Defense?
After 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 5. e3 for White, continuing Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bb7 9. O-O b4. White is slightly better (+0.35). The next best moves are 5. g3 (+0.27) and 5. Bg5 (+0.26).
Is the Semi-Slav Defense a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at +0.35: white is slightly better. Evaluations this early in the game are small, so practical results depend far more on knowing the plans and typical structures than on the engine's number.
What is the ECO code of the Semi-Slav Defense?
D43. ECO codes classify chess openings from A00 to E99; D is the volume for closed and semi-closed games.
Opening names from the Lichess opening book (CC0). Pieces by Colin M.L. Burnett (GPLv2+).