Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation (5… dxc4 6. e4)
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4
The Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO D44, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4. It is a line of the Semi-Slav Defense. Black is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 53 times by this move order. White won 49%, 13% were drawn and Black won 38%. The most popular continuation is 6… b5 (100% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.25 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 6… b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5)
- ECO
- D44
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp3ppp/2p1pn2/6B1/2pPP3/2N2N2/PP3PPP/R2QKB1R b KQkq - 0 6- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1 | |
| 1500-1999 | 10 | |
| 2000+ | 42 | |
| All | 53 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… b5 | 53 (100%) |
Master games
93 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 53%, draw 16%, Black 31%). The strongest:
- GM Alexander Grischuk (2777) – GM Pentala Harikrishna (2732) 0-1 · Saint Louis Rapid 2020 · 2020-09-15
- GM Alexander Grischuk (2732) – GM Vasif Durarbayli (2627) 1-0 · Titled Tue 13th Feb Late · 2024-02-13
- GM Daniil Dubov (2629) – GM Alexei Shirov (2695) 0-1 · Battle of the Generations 2013 · 2013-12-03
- GM Jiri Stocek (2568) – GM Alexei Shirov (2691) 1/2-1/2 · Mikhail Tal Mem Rapid · 2017-03-05
- GM Nihal Sarin (2693) – GM Grzegorz Nasuta (2558) 1-0 · Titled Tue 27th Feb Late · 2024-02-27
Search all games of the Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Arsenii2707 (2539) – IM KeyzerSoze (2522) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- GM Elmarmalade (2585) – Dxf7 (2426) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 300 + 0s
- QVC64 (2493) – Trautsj (2452) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Semi-Slav Defense Accepted 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4
Continuations
- Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation (8… g5 9. Nxg5) D44 · 1. 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
- Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation, Ekstrom Variation D44 · 1. 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
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.