Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Old Variation
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5
The Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Old Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO D48, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5. It is a line of the Semi-Slav Defense. Black is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 2 times by this move order. White won 50%, 0% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 10… cxd4 (100% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.11 (Stockfish, depth 40; best line 10… cxd4 11. Nxb5 axb5 12. exf6 gxf6 13. O-O)
- ECO
- D48
- Moves
- 19 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/3n1ppp/p3pn2/1pp1P3/3P4/2NB1N2/PP3PPP/R1BQK2R b KQkq - 0 10- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 2000+ | 2 | |
| All | 2 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 10… cxd4 | 2 (100%) |
Master games
2 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 100%, draw 0%, Black 0%). The strongest:
- IM Marina Korneva (2428) – Pavlova, N. (1990) 1-0 · ch-RUS Blitz w 2016 · 2016-10-04
- WIM Simona Limontaite (2171) – WIM Anna Jakubowska (2073) 1-0 · Titled Tuesday 13th Apr · 2021-04-13
Search all games of the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Old Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Drrovadandara (2114) – CM PchelkinVK (2501) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 600 + 0s
- artemiev9 (2289) – jkg22 (2306) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation (9. e4 c5) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5
Continuations
- Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Blumenfeld Variation D49 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 c5 10. e5 cxd4 11. Nxb5
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.