Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line (4… e6 5. Nf3)
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3
The Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line is a chess opening classified as ECO D45, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3. 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 652 times by this move order. White won 48%, 7% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 5… Nbd7 (35% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.16 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 5… Bd6 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3)
- ECO
- D45
- Moves
- 9 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp3ppp/2p1pn2/3p4/2PP4/2N1PN2/PP3PPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 1 5- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 81 | |
| 1500-1999 | 306 | |
| 2000+ | 265 | |
| All | 652 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5… Nbd7 Normal Variation (5. Nf3 Nbd7) | 227 (35%) | |
| 5… Bd6 | 132 (20%) | |
| 5… Be7 | 127 (19%) | |
| 5… Bb4 | 109 (17%) | |
| 5… a6 Accelerated Meran Variation | 14 (2%) | |
| 5… dxc4 | 12 (2%) | |
| 5… h6 | 6 (1%) | |
| 5… g6 | 6 (1%) |
Master games
308 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 62%, draw 19%, Black 19%). The strongest:
- GM Levon Aronian (2735) – GM Jorden Van Foreest (2681) 1/2-1/2 · 85th Tata Steel Masters · 2023-01-24
- GM Vladislav Artemiev (2697) – GM Vladimir Fedoseev (2683) 1-0 · AI Cup Div 2 W · 2023-09-28
- GM Kveinys, A. (2504) – GM Daniel Fridman (2594) 1/2-1/2 · Paul Keres Memorial 2017 · 2017-01-15
- GM Luis Ernesto Quesada Perez (2580) – GM Juan Carlos Gonzalez Zamora (2476) 1/2-1/2 · Copa Revolucion 2024 · 2024-11-17
- GM Mladen Palac (2562) – GM Milen Vasilev (2487) 1-0 · Grand Open Blagoevgrad 2013 · 2013-10-02
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
- Infinity050505 (2483) – IM denis6917 (2636) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Slav Defense (2… c6 3. Nc3) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3
Continuations
- Semi-Slav Defense: Accelerated Meran Variation D45 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 a6
- Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation (5. Nf3 Nbd7) D45 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7
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.