Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3
The Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO D15, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3. It is a line of the Slav Defense. Black is to move. 5 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 5,257 times by this move order. White won 50%, 7% were drawn and Black won 43%. The most popular continuation is 4… e6 (37% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.20 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 4… e6 5. e3 a6 6. b3 Bb4 7. Bd2)
- ECO
- D15
- Moves
- 7 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp2pppp/2p2n2/3p4/2PP4/2N2N2/PP2PPPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 3 4- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 632 | |
| 1500-1999 | 2,423 | |
| 2000+ | 2,202 | |
| All | 5,257 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4… e6 Semi-Slav Defense | 1,929 (37%) | |
| 4… Bf5 | 939 (18%) | |
| 4… dxc4 Two Knights Attack | 818 (16%) | |
| 4… Bg4 | 608 (12%) | |
| 4… a6 Chebanenko Variation (4. Nc3 a6) | 394 (7%) | |
| 4… g6 Schlechter Variation | 351 (7%) | |
| 4… Nbd7 | 96 (2%) | |
| 4… h6 | 60 (1%) |
Master games
461 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 62%, draw 18%, Black 20%). The strongest:
- StoofvleesII a18 (3532) – Ethereal13.07_NNUE-15EE (3497) 1-0 · TCEC 21 Premier 2021 · 2021-06-24
- Ethereal13.07_NNUE-15EE (3497) – StoofvleesII a18 (3532) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 21 Premier 2021 · 2021-06-22
- GM Liren Ding (2791) – GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2778) 1-0 · Carlsen Inv Prelim · 2020-04-23
- GM Marin Bosiocic (2570) – GM Sergey Erenburg (2624) 1/2-1/2 · 40th Annual World Open · 2012-07-08
- IM Rudik Makarian (2497) – GM Sergei Rublevsky (2637) 1/2-1/2 · Kurnosov Mem Rapid 2022 · 2022-09-09
Search all games of the Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- GM AtalikS (2642) – GM xiaochess (2934) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- smallsteps99 (2668) – GM cjota95 (2809) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 2s
- Vahe_S (2758) – KhatanbaatarGM (2712) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Slav Defense: Modern Line (2… c6 3. Nf3) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3
Continuations
- Semi-Slav Defense D43 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6
- Slav Defense: Chebanenko Variation (4. Nc3 a6) D15 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6
- Slav Defense: Schlechter Variation D15 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6
- Slav Defense: Süchting Variation D15 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Qb6
- Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack D15 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4
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.