Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation (6… Bd6 7. b3)
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. e3 e6 5. Nc3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. b3
The Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO D45, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. e3 e6 5. Nc3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. b3. It is a line of the Semi-Slav Defense. Black is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
This exact move order didn't appear in our sample of 12.6 million Lichess games: it's a rare line.
Engine evaluation: +0.13 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 7… O-O 8. Be2 Qe7 9. O-O b6 10. e4)
- ECO
- D45
- Moves
- 13 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/pp1n1ppp/2pbpn2/3p4/2PP4/1PN1PN2/P1Q2PPP/R1B1KB1R b KQkq - 0 7- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. e3 e6 5. Nc3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. b3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Master games
10 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 30%, draw 60%, Black 10%). The strongest:
- IM Goran Arsovic (2417) – GM Branko Tadic (2489) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-MNE Premier 2014 · 2014-09-20
- GM Arman Mikaelyan (2519) – FM Ioan Rees (2273) 1-0 · Titled Tue 16th Jan Late · 2024-01-16
- IM Tagir Salemgareev (2464) – WGM Jennifer Perez Rodriguez (2254) 1-0 · Titled Tue 28th Mar Early · 2023-03-28
- FM Bence Pribelszky (2362) – GM Zlatko Ilincic (2268) 1/2-1/2 · SixDays Budapest May IM · 2024-05-17
- Tygran Dzhuguryan (2220) – FM Mateusz Paszewski (2307) 1/2-1/2 · XXXVI Zamenhofa Mem · 2017-12-29
Search all games of the Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation and its sub-variations
Comes from
Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6
Continuations
- Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation (7… O-O 8. Bb2) D45 · 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. e3 e6 5. Nc3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. b3 O-O 8. Bb2
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.