Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation (5. Nf3 Nbd7)

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7

The Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO D45, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7. It is a line of the Semi-Slav Defense. White is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.

In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 227 times by this move order. White won 50%, 6% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 6. Bd3 (40% of games).

Engine evaluation: +0.21 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 b4)

ECO: D45
Moves: 10 plies
FEN: r1bqkb1r/pp1n1ppp/2p1pn2/3p4/2PP4/2N1PN2/PP3PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 2 6
PGN: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

Results by rating

Average rating	Games	White / draw / Black
0-1499	6	17%83%
1500-1999	78	47%50%
2000+	143	53%40%
All	227	50%44%

Most played moves

Move	Games	White / draw / Black
6. Bd3 Main Line (5… Nbd7 6. Bd3)	90 (40%)	48%46%
6. Be2	46 (20%)	54%39%
6. Qc2 Stoltz Variation (5… Nbd7 6. Qc2)	34 (15%)	50%50%
6. cxd5	16 (7%)	50%50%
6. b3	12 (5%)	50%42%
6. a3	9 (4%)	56%44%
6. c5	8 (4%)	63%12%25%
6. Ne5	6 (3%)	50%50%

Master games

574 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 41%, draw 25%, Black 34%). The strongest:

GM Erigaisi Arjun (2782) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2766) 1/2-1/2 · FIDE World Rapid Team · 2025-06-12
GM Teimour Radjabov (2793) – GM Laurent Fressinet (2700) 0-1 · SportAccord Blitz Men 2012 · 2012-12-17
GM Alexander Riazantsev (2662) – GM David Navara (2727) 0-1 · TCh-FRA Top 12 2018 · 2018-05-26
GM Denis Khismatullin (2651) – GM Anton Korobov (2700) 1/2-1/2 · 16th Karpov Poikovsky · 2015-10-01
GM Matthias Bluebaum (2670) – GM Robert Hovhannisyan (2642) 0-1 · Euro Online Blitz Quali · 2020-12-18

Search all games of the Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation and its sub-variations

Highest-rated Lichess games

MIGV (2616) – KhatanbaatarGM (2701) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
MIGV (2606) – classic_chess3456 (2640) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Infinity050505 (2483) – IM denis6917 (2636) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 2s

Comes from

Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line (4… e6 5. Nf3) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3

Continuations

Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line (5… Nbd7 6. Bd3) D46 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3
Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation (5… Nbd7 6. Qc2) D45 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2
Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense (7… O-O 8. Bd3) D46 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. b3 Bd6 7. Bb2 O-O 8. Bd3

More Semi-Slav Defense lines (all)

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.