Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation (7… O-O 8. Be2)
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. b3 Bd6 7. Bb2 O-O 8. Be2
The Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO D45, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. b3 Bd6 7. Bb2 O-O 8. Be2. It is a line of the Semi-Slav Defense. Black 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 0%, 0% were drawn and Black won 100%. The most popular continuation is 8… Ne4 (100% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.11 (Stockfish, depth 36; best line 8… Qe7 9. O-O b6 10. Re1 Bb7 11. Bd3)
- ECO
- D45
- Moves
- 15 plies
- FEN
r1bq1rk1/pp1n1ppp/2pbpn2/3p4/2PP4/1PN1PN2/PB2BPPP/R2QK2R b KQ - 4 8- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. b3 Bd6 7. Bb2 O-O 8. Be2
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 8… Ne4 | 1 (100%) |
Master games
1 over-the-board game is classified under this line (White 0%, draw 100%, Black 0%). The strongest:
- WIM Ivana Hrescak (2196) – FM Vid Dobrovoljc (2373) 1/2-1/2 · 30th ch-SLO 2020 · 2020-09-06
Search all games of the Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Damenkiller64 (2094) – Hrasnica70 (2166) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
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.