In 58,838 Lichess games from September 2026, rated 900 to 1700, you score almost 47% with the Semi-Slav Defense. You build a pawn triangle on c6, d5 and e6 that holds the centre, and in return your c8 bishop stays shut in behind e6 until you clear a path for it. Level barely changes the result: among players rated 2200 or more online you score 46 in 100.
Lichess games from September 2026 (30,577,162 rated 900 to 1700) and 31,791 over-the-board games rated 2300+ from the last 12 months. Data updated: October 14, 2026.
46 named lines in this family; 1 with their own page.
The opening's share in each Lichess rating band.
Among strong players, the most repeated line is 5. 6. 7. 8.. At your level 5. comes in 61 in 100 games, 5. in 17 and 5. in 10, against 3 among strong players. After 5. you pick in 69 in 100; strong players do so in 34, splitting the rest between , and . After , 6. follows in 89 in 100. After , your choice in almost half your games, your opponent plays 7. in 65 in 100 and hardly ever 7., which strong players choose in 40.
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60.6% | 53.8% | 52.1% | 41.2% | |
| 16.9% | 51.5% | 27.7% | 47.4% | |
| 10.1% | 53.9% | 2.9% | no data | |
| 5.5% | 52.2% | 7.0% | no data | |
| 2.8% | 48.8% | no data | no data | |
| 2.1% | 55.0% | 8.4% | 11.4% | |
| no data | no data | 0.8% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69.1% | 54.1% | 34.2% | no data | |
| 11.7% | 50.5% | 27.9% | 33.8% | |
| 8.8% | 55.1% | 22.1% | 66.2% | |
| 7.3% | 58.0% | 1.9% | no data | |
| 1.8% | 56.8% | 0.4% | no data | |
| 1.0% | 48.2% | 13.4% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88.6% | 54.5% | 99.3% | no data | |
| 6.1% | 55.1% | 0.4% | no data | |
| 4.2% | 50.9% | 0.3% | no data | |
| 0.4% | 58.6% | no data | no data | |
| 0.3% | 50.0% | no data | no data | |
| 0.3% | 50.0% | no data | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48.5% | 54.2% | 42.8% | no data | |
| 25.7% | 52.3% | 41.7% | no data | |
| 22.7% | 57.2% | 7.7% | no data | |
| 1.9% | 56.8% | 6.5% | no data | |
| 1.3% | 53.9% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 1.4% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64.9% | 52.3% | 36.7% | no data | |
| 20.6% | 53.8% | 2.4% | no data | |
| 11.7% | 51.3% | no data | no data | |
| 1.6% | 73.1% | 21.0% | no data | |
| 1.2% | 60.0% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 39.9% | no data |
The strong players' line, 5. 6. 7. 8., leaves your c6, d5 and e6 triangle untouched. You finish the kingside and bring the b8 knight to d7, while your opponent leans on your castled king and on the d-file. The centre holds because c6 and e6 both support d5. The cost is the c8 bishop, shut in behind e6, and the whole sequence is about getting ready to bring that bishop out.
5. pins the f6 knight to your queen: emptied e7, so the diagonal from g5 to d8 is open. closes that diagonal, breaks the pin and gets you ready to castle. At your level 69 in 100 players reply this way. If you prefer , you put the question to the bishop: after 6. you keep the bishop pair, and after 6. the pin stays.
6. defends d4 a third time and opens the f1 bishop's diagonal towards d3 and c4. If you take now with , that bishop recaptures and develops in one move. That is why comes first: your king gets to safety, and you wait for the bishop to move before taking on c4.
7. is the move that separates strong players from your level. With e4 empty, the queen looks down the diagonal to h7, which your f6 knight and your king defend, and together with the c3 knight it watches e4, the square your knight would jump to. Strong players always answer . From d7 the knight covers c5 and e5, the squares for the breaks in which your c- and e-pawns hit d4, and it adds another guard on f6 in case the g5 bishop takes there. 8. puts the rook on the d-file opposite your queen, with d4, d5 and your d7 knight in between: once that file opens, the rook will be aiming at d8.
After the c8 bishop has no free square at all, and getting it out is your next job. One route comes from the 5. line: opens b7 for it. The other is the Meran Variation, with 6. : you take on c4 once the f1 bishop has moved, so it recaptures with 7., and hits it with tempo. After 8. your bishop is out, though still behind c6. 9. drives the knight to 10., and clears the pawn out of the way: the b7 bishop now sees d5 and e4.
| Move | Strong games | Chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| 10,979 | 51.8% | |
| 5,339 | 33.8% | |
| 1,856 | 99.3% | |
| 1,695 | 42.8% | |
| 670 | 39.9% | |
| 164 | 100.0% | |
| 118 | 36.4% |
After 5., pins the c3 knight to the king, but the bishop has no defender and 6. attacks it. After 7. 8. , your bishop has spent three moves getting to e7. Best is . It is an inaccuracy, but almost 1 in 4 players choose it, and you score 43 in 100.
24 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.6 pawns of advantage.
After 5., lets your opponent set up with 6. 7. 8., and you need to give the c8 bishop a square. Best is : with e2 blocked, the f1 bishop cannot take back right away. An inaccuracy: you score 44 in 100 against an average of 46, and at your level it often goes unpunished.
16 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.6 pawns of advantage.
After 7., chases the bishop, but 8. drops it back to a protected square. If you hit it with , 9. attacks your h8 rook and the knight has to go back with : two tempi gone, and your g- and h-pawns no longer shelter a kingside castle. Best is , which scores 48 in 100.
7 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.2 pawns of advantage.
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 38,085 | ||
| Not castled | 5,988 | |
| Not castled | 5,965 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 4,205 |
| 2,465 | ||
| Not castled | 889 |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 316 | ||
| Not castled | 28 | |
| Not castled | 21 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 20 |
| 19 | ||
| 14 |
1. 2. 3. · 24,236 amateur games · 32 over the board
With and you build the triangle before developing the g8 knight: you score 47 in 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · 8,852 amateur games · 9 over the board
Your opponent plays 4. before 5., leaving the c1 bishop behind e3: almost 47 in 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 3,506 amateur games · 29 over the board
4. throws a pawn into the centre before your knight comes out: under 46 in 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. · D31
2,827 amateur games · White's score: 54.1%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D45
1,261 amateur games · White's score: 49.8%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · D43
974 amateur games · White's score: 56.7%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D45
600 amateur games · White's score: 51.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D30
450 amateur games · White's score: 55.7%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · D46
377 amateur games · White's score: 50.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · D46
360 amateur games · White's score: 52.6%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · D44
343 amateur games · White's score: 51.9%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · D43
313 amateur games · White's score: 52.2%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D31
256 amateur games · White's score: 53.5%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · D46
256 amateur games · White's score: 56.1%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. · D47
151 amateur games · White's score: 46.7%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. · D31
93 amateur games · White's score: 49.5%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D31
81 amateur games · White's score: 61.1%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · D45
75 amateur games · White's score: 57.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. · D47
57 amateur games · White's score: 57.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D31
53 amateur games · White's score: 61.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · D45
33 amateur games · White's score: 40.9%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. · D47
26 amateur games · White's score: 40.4%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · D45
17 amateur games · White's score: 35.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D31
15 amateur games · White's score: 43.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. · D47
8 amateur games · White's score: 37.5%
1. 2. 3. 4. · D31
5 amateur games · White's score: 80.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · D31
5 amateur games · White's score: 80.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. · D43
5 amateur games · White's score: 60.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. · D44
2 amateur games · White's score: 50.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. · D48
2 amateur games · White's score: 0.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. · D45
2 amateur games · White's score: 100.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. · D45
2 amateur games · White's score: 50.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. · D44
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. · D44
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. · D44
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. · D49
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. · D48
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. · D49
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. · D49
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. · D48
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. · D49
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. · D49
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. · D47
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. · D47
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. · D45
Your pawns on c6, d5 and e6 hold d5 with two pawns, c6 and e6. The price is the c8 bishop, stuck behind e6. Against 5., break the pin with , castle, and bring the knight to d7, where it covers c5 and e5. Then free the bishop, either with or, in the Meran, with and .
The Accelerated Move Order, with and , is the most common route here: 24,236 games, where you score 47 in 100. The Main Line, with 4. before 5., gives you almost 47. The Marshall Gambit, 4., is the one to prepare for: you score under 46 in 100 against it.
Reach c6, d5 and e6 with your knights on f6 and, later, d7. After 5., reply to break the pin, then once your opponent plays 6.. Avoid after 7.: it costs you time and your kingside cover. Against 5., take on c4 with .