Slav Defense: Exchange Variation, Symmetrical Line
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bf4 Bf5
The Slav Defense: Exchange Variation, Symmetrical Line is a chess opening classified as ECO D14, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bf4 Bf5. It is a line of the Slav Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 73 times by this move order. White won 44%, 4% were drawn and Black won 52%. The most popular continuation is 7. e3 (77% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.10 (Stockfish, depth 53; best line 7. Qb3 Na5 8. Qa4+ Bd7 9. Qc2 Rc8)
- ECO
- D14
- Moves
- 12 plies
- FEN
r2qkb1r/pp2pppp/2n2n2/3p1b2/3P1B2/2N2N2/PP2PPPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq - 6 7- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bf4 Bf5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 9 | |
| 1500-1999 | 23 | |
| 2000+ | 41 | |
| All | 73 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 7. e3 | 56 (77%) | |
| 7. Qb3 | 8 (11%) | |
| 7. a3 | 6 (8%) | |
| 7. Rc1 | 2 (3%) | |
| 7. Ne5 | 1 (1%) |
Master games
571 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 12%, draw 76%, Black 12%). The strongest:
- GM So, W. (2770) – GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2758) 1/2-1/2 · Magnus Carlsen Inv Prelim · 2021-03-14
- GM Erigaisi Arjun (2727) – GM Santosh Gujrathi Vidit (2737) 1/2-1/2 · 9th Gashimov Mem Blitz · 2023-12-11
- GM Peter Leko (2674) – GM Richard Rapport (2736) 1/2-1/2 · IMSA World Masters Blitz · 2019-05-17
- GM Sanan Sjugirov (2646) – GM Gata Kamsky (2740) 1/2-1/2 · Aeroflot Open Rapid Qualifier 2013 · 2013-02-13
- GM Alexander Morozevich (2712) – GM Vladislav Artemiev (2662) 1-0 · Nutcracker Classical 2014 · 2014-12-23
Search all games of the Slav Defense: Exchange Variation, Symmetrical Line and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Beteavon (2405) – brawlstar92 (2501) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 2s
- WFM dar1eck (2414) – humpire (2430) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- Kumir_Shaxm_StrimerH (2346) – Sanok-Kasapchuk (2387) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Slav Defense: Exchange Variation (2… c6 3. cxd5) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5
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, 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
- Slav Defense: Modern Line (5. Bg2 g6) 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.