Slav Defense: Quiet Variation
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3
The Slav Defense: Quiet Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO D11, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3. It is a line of the Slav Defense. Black is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1,577 times by this move order. White won 51%, 7% were drawn and Black won 42%. The most popular continuation is 4… e6 (28% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.15 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 4… Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Be4 7. f3)
- ECO
- D11
- Moves
- 7 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp2pppp/2p2n2/3p4/2PP4/4PN2/PP3PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 185 | |
| 1500-1999 | 578 | |
| 2000+ | 814 | |
| All | 1,577 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4… e6 | 449 (28%) | |
| 4… Bg4 Quiet Variation, Pin Defense | 414 (26%) | |
| 4… Bf5 Quiet Variation, Schallopp Defense (4. e3 Bf5) | 413 (26%) | |
| 4… a6 | 111 (7%) | |
| 4… g6 | 107 (7%) | |
| 4… dxc4 | 30 (2%) | |
| 4… Nbd7 | 23 (1%) | |
| 4… h6 | 11 (1%) |
Master games
4,828 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 49%, draw 29%, Black 22%). The strongest:
- PlentyChess6.0.14 (3588) – Stockfishdev-20250802-a37b38bd (3731) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 28 Premier 2025 · 2025-08-23
- Stockfishdev-20250802-a37b38bd (3731) – PlentyChess6.0.14 (3588) 1-0 · TCEC 28 Premier 2025 · 2025-08-23
- LCZero 0.31-dag-e429eeb-BT3-2790000 (3642) – Stockfish dev-20231010-00263636 (3673) 1-0 · TCEC 25 Superfinal 2023 · 2023-10-12
- Stockfish dev-20231010-00263636 (3673) – LCZero 0.31-dag-e429eeb-BT3-2790000 (3642) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Superfinal 2023 · 2023-10-12
- LCZero 0.31-dag-e429eeb-BT3-2790000 (3642) – Stockfish dev-20231010-00263636 (3673) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Superfinal 2023 · 2023-10-12
Search all games of the Slav Defense: Quiet Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- NameTheGame (2703) – Pyama_Ninja (2800) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- Robert_E2009 (2652) – IM DiaryTraining (2763) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- BRM1965 (2604) – GM cjota95 (2798) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Slav Defense: Modern Line (2… c6 3. Nf3) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3
Continuations
- Slav Defense: Quiet Variation, Pin Defense D11 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4
- Slav Defense: Quiet Variation, Schallopp Defense (4. e3 Bf5) D12 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5
- Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation (4… e6 5. Nbd2) D30 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nbd2
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 (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.