Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense (8… Qe7 9. Bd3)
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. b3 O-O 8. Bb2 Qe7 9. Bd3
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. Qc2 Bd6 7. b3 O-O 8. Bb2 Qe7 9. Bd3. 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: +0.17 (Stockfish, depth 32; best line 9… Re8 10. h3 dxc4 11. Bxc4 b5 12. Bd3)
- ECO
- D46
- Moves
- 17 plies
- FEN
r1b2rk1/pp1nqppp/2pbpn2/3p4/2PP4/1PNBPN2/PBQ2PPP/R3K2R b KQ - 4 9- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. b3 O-O 8. Bb2 Qe7 9. Bd3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
3 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 33%, draw 67%, Black 0%). The strongest:
- GM Igor Kovalenko (2643) – GM Dmitry Jakovenko (2721) 1/2-1/2 · Russian Rapid Cup Final 2013 · 2013-12-21
- GM Alexei Shirov (2702) – GM Robert Hovhannisyan (2612) 1/2-1/2 · Riga Tech Open A 2015 · 2015-08-14
- GM Igor Kovalenko (2644) – GM Evgeniy Najer (2626) 1-0 · 67th Moscow Blitz 2013 · 2013-09-01
Search all games of the Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense and its sub-variations
Comes from
Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation (5… Nbd7 6. Qc2) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2
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.