Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bb7
The Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO D47, 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 Bb7. It is a line of the Semi-Slav Defense. White is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 16 times by this move order. White won 56%, 13% were drawn and Black won 31%. The most popular continuation is 9. O-O (56% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.19 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 9. e4 b4 10. Na4 c5 11. e5 Nd5)
- ECO
- D47
- Moves
- 16 plies
- FEN
r2qkb1r/pb1n1ppp/2p1pn2/1p6/3P4/2NBPN2/PP3PPP/R1BQK2R w KQkq - 2 9- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bb7
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 2 | |
| 2000+ | 14 | |
| All | 16 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 9. O-O | 9 (56%) | |
| 9. e4 | 5 (31%) | |
| 9. a3 | 2 (13%) |
Master games
152 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 29%, Black 26%). The strongest:
- GM Levon Aronian (2777) – GM Viswanathan Anand (2797) 1-0 · 4th Zurich CC Rapid · 2015-02-19
- GM Viktor Laznicka (2683) – GM Alexei Shirov (2706) 0-1 · Shirov-Laznicka m · 2012-08-06
- GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2741) – GM S.P. Sethuraman (2643) 1-0 · Tata Steel India Rapid · 2022-11-29
- GM Francisco Vallejo Pons (2684) – GM Alexei Shirov (2689) 1/2-1/2 · 20th European Teams · 2015-11-22
- GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2782) – GM Awonder Liang (2587) 1-0 · Aimchess US Rapid Prelim · 2021-08-29
Search all games of the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- MIGV (2616) – KhatanbaatarGM (2701) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- Prenzl (2423) – Dr_Leivesey (2408) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- Prenzl (2445) – freak1000 (2335) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation (7. Bxc4 b5) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5
Continuations
- Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation, Larsen Variation D47 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bb7 9. e4 b4 10. Na4 c5 11. e5 Nd5
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.