Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Lundin Variation
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 b4
The Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Lundin Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO D47, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 b4. It is a line of the Semi-Slav Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1 times by this move order. White won 100%, 0% were drawn and Black won 0%. The most popular continuation is 9. Ne4 (100% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.12 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 9. Ne4 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 Bb7 11. Nd2 Be7)
- ECO
- D47
- Moves
- 16 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/p2n1ppp/2p1pn2/8/1p1P4/2NBPN2/PP3PPP/R1BQK2R w KQkq - 0 9- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 b4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 2000+ | 1 | |
| All | 1 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 9. Ne4 | 1 (100%) |
Master games
59 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 27%, draw 48%, Black 25%). The strongest:
- LCZero 0.31-dag-c93c6a8-BT4-61 (3652) – Stockfish dev-20250118-8e3e22b (3683) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 27 Theory Bonus · 2025-01-23
- GM Maxim Matlakov (2710) – GM Aleksey Dreev (2662) 1-0 · 72nd ch-RUS 2019 · 2019-08-14
- GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek (2713) – GM Alexander Motylev (2656) 1/2-1/2 · 15th ch-EUR Indiv 2014 · 2014-03-10
- GM Vladislav Artemiev (2699) – GM Hans Moke Niemann (2638) 1/2-1/2 · FIDE Grand Swiss 2021 · 2021-11-04
- GM Ferenc Berkes (2615) – GM Nikita Vitiugov (2720) 1/2-1/2 · FIDE World Cup 2023 · 2023-08-05
Search all games of the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Lundin Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- DwightDANS (2203) – maxzag (1805) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 600 + 0s
Comes from
Semi-Slav Defense 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6
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.