Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation, Alatortsev System
1. 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
The Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation, Alatortsev System is a chess opening classified as ECO D44, reached after 1. 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. It is a line of the Semi-Slav Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1 times by this move order. White won 100%, 0% were drawn and Black won 0%. The most popular continuation is 10. Nxf7 (100% of games).
Engine evaluation: +1.72 (Stockfish, depth 34; best line 10. Nxf7 Qxh4 11. Nxh8 Bb4 12. Rc1 c5)
- ECO
- D44
- Moves
- 18 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/p4p2/2p1p2p/1p1nP1N1/2pP3B/2N5/PP3PPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq - 1 10- PGN
1. 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
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 2000+ | 1 | |
| All | 1 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 10. Nxf7 | 1 (100%) |
Master games
2 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 100%, draw 0%, Black 0%). The strongest:
- FM Aleksa Petrovic (2205) – FM Matyas Zeman (2303) 1-0 · Titled Tue 30th Aug Early · 2022-08-30
- FM Francois Godart (2319) – Wouter Ghyselen (2107) 1-0 · TCh-BEL 2012-13 · 2012-12-16
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Joachim1976 (1999) – schastlivchik54 (2014) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation (3… d5 4. Nc3) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3
More Semi-Slav Defense lines (all)
- Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation (4… e6 5. Nbd2) D30
- Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation (5. Nbd2 Nbd7) D30
- Semi-Slav Defense: Accelerated Move Order D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Anti-Noteboom, Stonewall Variation D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Anti-Noteboom, Stonewall Variation, Portisch Gambit D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Gunderam Gambit D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit, Forgotten Variation D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit, Main Line D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit, Tolush Variation D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation D31
- Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation, Abrahams Variation D31
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.