- ECO code
- D16
- Moves
- 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4
- Family
- Slav Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 466
- Average game length
- 42 moves
- Years covered
- 1922–2026
Slav Defense: Alapin Variation is the opening filed under ECO code D16, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4. It belongs to the Slav Defense family and is known as the Alapin Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 466 games on this line — the 224th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1922 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2000s, with 122 games. An average game here lasts 42 moves.
White wins 34% of those games, 49% end in a draw, and Black wins 17%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 11 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 14 points.
From this position the most popular move is 5...Bf5, played in 368 games, followed by 5...e6 (69) and 5...Na6 (14). 5...Bf5 leads into Slav Defense: Czech Variation. After 5...Bf5 White scores 35% and Black 17%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Ding Liren (25 games); on the Black side, Smyslov, Vassily (39).
1 named variation branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Slav Defense: Czech Variation.
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Results in master games
- White 34% (158)
- Draws 49% (229)
- Black 17% (79)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5...Bf5 | 368 | 35/48/17 | Slav Defense: Czech Variation |
| 5...e6 | 69 | 28/59/13 | — |
| 5...Na6 | 14 | 36/50/14 | — |
| 5...Bg4 | 11 | 37/36/27 | — |
| 5...a5 | 3 | 67/0/33 | — |
| 5...c5 | 1 | 0/100/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Slav Defense: Czech Variation · 5...Bf5 · 368 games
How the position is reached
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 · 45,810 games
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 d5 · 11,560 games
- Queen's Gambit · 1.d4 d5 2.c4 · 8,858 games
- Slav Defense · 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 · 4,073 games
- Slav Defense: Modern Line · 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 · 2,574 games
- Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation · 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 · 1,399 games
- Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack · 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 · 522 games
Played most often by
As White
- Ding Liren 25
- Grischuk,A 24
- Aronian,L 20
As Black
- Smyslov, Vassily 39
- Shirov,A 17
- Euwe, Max 16
Games per decade
- 1920s 7
- 1930s 37
- 1940s 9
- 1950s 23
- 1960s 11
- 1970s 9
- 1980s 18
- 1990s 45
- 2000s 122
- 2010s 120
- 2020s 65
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Ohanyan,Emin | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Mar 2026 |
| Wojtaszek,R | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | GCT Super Rapid Poland |
| Praggnanandhaa,R | Caruana,F | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE Candidates 2026 |
| Ivanchuk,V | Martinez Rubi,A | 1-0 | 2026 | 10th Semana Santa Open |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Nakamura,Hi | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | 13th Norway Chess 2025 |
| Mamedyarov,S | Mamedov,Rau | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | 79th ch-AZE 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Slav Defense: Alapin Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code D16, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4. It belongs to the Slav Defense family.
Is the Slav Defense: Alapin Variation good for White or for Black?
In 466 master games on this line White wins 34%, 49% are drawn and Black wins 17%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Slav Defense: Alapin Variation?
5...Bf5 — played in 368 of the master games on this line, which leads into Slav Defense: Czech Variation.
Which grandmasters play the Slav Defense: Alapin Variation?
On the White side Ding Liren (25), Grischuk,A (24), Aronian,L (20); on the Black side Smyslov, Vassily (39), Shirov,A (17), Euwe, Max (16).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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