Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Pirc Variation
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 b4
The Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Pirc Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO D48, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 b4. It is a line of the Semi-Slav Defense. White 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: +0.45 (Stockfish, depth 30; best line 10. e5 bxc3 11. exf6 Nxf6 12. bxc3 c5)
- ECO
- D48
- Moves
- 18 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/3n1ppp/p1p1pn2/8/1p1PP3/2NB1N2/PP3PPP/R1BQK2R w KQkq - 0 10- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. e3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 9. e4 b4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
3 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 67%, draw 0%, Black 33%). The strongest:
- Jan Soural (2222) – Ivo Hradecky (2051) 1-0 · Ricany Open A 2016 · 2016-09-01
- WFM Anna Cramling Bellon (2065) – Jasper Rom (2202) 0-1 · Titled Tue 30th Aug Early · 2022-08-30
- WFM Aleksandra Rozum (2041) – Nomina Darmaeva (2015) 1-0 · Chelyabinskiy Variant B · 2022-04-10
Search all games of the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Pirc Variation and its sub-variations
Comes from
Semi-Slav Defense: Accelerated Move Order 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6
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: 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
- Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation, Anti-Noteboom Gambit 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.