Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense (6… Bd6 7. Qc2)
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. Qc2
The Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO D46, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. Qc2. It is a line of the Semi-Slav Defense. Black is to move.
This exact move order didn't appear in our sample of 12.6 million Lichess games: it's a rare line.
Engine evaluation: +0.15 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 7… O-O 8. O-O h6 9. b3 e5 10. cxd5)
- ECO
- D46
- Moves
- 13 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/pp1n1ppp/2pbpn2/3p4/2PP4/2NBPN2/PPQ2PPP/R1B1K2R b KQkq - 5 7- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. Qc2
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
3 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 33%, draw 34%, Black 33%). The strongest:
- WGM Anna M. Sargsyan (2405) – WGM Elena Tomilova (2353) 1/2-1/2 · Djerba Women Online 2020 · 2020-06-14
- Mateusz Hasterok (2162) – FM Murtez Ondozi (2406) 0-1 · European Blitz 2022 · 2022-12-16
- WGM Anna M. Sargsyan (2402) – WFM Margarita Filippova (1931) 1-0 · Titled Tuesday 22nd Sept · 2020-09-22
Search all games of the Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense and its sub-variations
Comes from
Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense (6. Bd3 Bd6) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Bd6
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.