Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line (5… Nbd7 6. Bd3)
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3
The Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line 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. It is a line of the Semi-Slav Defense. Black is to move. 4 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 90 times by this move order. White won 48%, 6% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 6… dxc4 (58% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.10 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 6… dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 b4 9. Ne4)
- ECO
- D46
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/pp1n1ppp/2p1pn2/3p4/2PP4/2NBPN2/PP3PPP/R1BQK2R b KQkq - 3 6- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 3 | |
| 1500-1999 | 28 | |
| 2000+ | 59 | |
| All | 90 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… dxc4 | 52 (58%) | |
| 6… Bd6 Chigorin Defense (6. Bd3 Bd6) | 21 (23%) | |
| 6… Be7 Bogoljubow Variation | 6 (7%) | |
| 6… a6 | 3 (3%) | |
| 6… Bb4 Romih Variation | 3 (3%) | |
| 6… b6 | 2 (2%) | |
| 6… h6 | 1 (1%) | |
| 6… g6 | 1 (1%) |
Master games
20 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 30%, Black 25%). The strongest:
- GM Sanan Sjugirov (2669) – GM Vladimir Potkin (2605) 1/2-1/2 · Aeroflot Open A 2015 · 2015-04-03
- GM Merab Gagunashvili (2578) – GM Alexander Galkin (2615) 1/2-1/2 · Turkish Bank Chess League 2012 · 2012-07-14
- GM Yannick Pelletier (2568) – GM Bart Michiels (2536) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-FRA Top 12 2015 · 2015-06-06
- GM Zdenko Kozul (2596) – GM Emir Dizdarevic (2457) 1-0 · 16th Premier League BIH · 2017-08-26
- IM Matthias Bluebaum (2521) – GM Michele Godena (2518) 1/2-1/2 · Mitropa Cup 2013 · 2013-06-06
Search all games of the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- MIGV (2616) – KhatanbaatarGM (2701) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- MIGV (2606) – classic_chess3456 (2640) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- Neftegor (2496) – archifoot (2487) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation (5. Nf3 Nbd7) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7
Continuations
- Semi-Slav Defense: Bogoljubow Variation D46 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Be7
- Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense (6. Bd3 Bd6) D46 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Bd6
- Semi-Slav Defense: Romih Variation D46 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Bb4
- Semi-Slav Defense: Semi-Meran Variation D47 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4
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.