Slav Defense: Czech Variation
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5
The Slav Defense: Czech Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO D17, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5. It is a line of the 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 304 times by this move order. White won 44%, 7% were drawn and Black won 49%. The most popular continuation is 6. e3 (53% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.28 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Qc7 8. g3 e5)
- ECO
- D17
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
rn1qkb1r/pp2pppp/2p2n2/5b2/P1pP4/2N2N2/1P2PPPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 1 6- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1 | |
| 1500-1999 | 54 | |
| 2000+ | 249 | |
| All | 304 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. e3 Czech Variation, Classical System | 161 (53%) | |
| 6. Ne5 Czech Variation, Krause Attack | 107 (35%) | |
| 6. Nh4 Czech Variation, Bled Attack | 17 (6%) | |
| 6. Bg5 | 15 (5%) | |
| 6. g3 | 2 (1%) | |
| 6. a5 | 1 (0%) | |
| 6. Bf4 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
40 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 30%, draw 13%, Black 57%). The strongest:
- GM Daniel W Gormally (2474) – GM Matthew J Turner (2545) 1/2-1/2 · 4NCL 2017-18 · 2017-11-12
- IM Ilias Van der Lende (2393) – IM Jan-Willem De Jong (2439) 0-1 · Dutch League 2019-20 · 2020-03-07
- IM Uurtsaikh Agibileg (2441) – FM Stephen Dishman (2304) 1-0 · Titled Tue 8th Aug Early · 2023-08-08
- IM Uurtsaikh Agibileg (2441) – IM Zhanibek Amanov (2283) 0-1 · Titled Tue 4th Jul Early · 2023-07-04
- GM Darcy Lima (2370) – FM Diego Mariano Belmonte (2310) 0-1 · 11th Floripa Open 2025 · 2025-01-21
Search all games of the Slav Defense: Czech Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Vahe_S (2758) – KhatanbaatarGM (2712) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- AyaSen77 (2780) – shortparis (2640) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 2s
- Con_Knuppel (2640) – FM kirill_kopyonkin (2618) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Slav Defense: Alapin Variation 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4
Continuations
- Slav Defense: Czech Variation, Bled Attack D17 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Nh4
- Slav Defense: Czech Variation, Classical System D18 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3
- Slav Defense: Czech Variation, Krause Attack D17 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5
More Slav Defense lines (all)
- Slav Defense (2. c4 c6) D10
- Slav Defense (2… c6 3. Nc3) D10
- Slav Defense (3. Nc3 dxc4) D10
- Slav Defense: Diemer Gambit D10
- Slav Defense: Exchange Variation (2… c6 3. cxd5) D10
- Slav Defense: Exchange Variation, Boor Attack D10
- Slav Defense: Slav Gambit, Alekhine Attack D10
- Slav Defense: Winawer Countergambit D10
- Slav Defense: Winawer Countergambit, Anti-Winawer Gambit D10
- Slav Defense: Bonet Gambit D11
- Slav Defense: Breyer Variation D11
- Slav Defense: Modern Line (2… c6 3. Nf3) D11
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.