- ECO code
- D10
- Moves
- 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3
- Family
- Slav Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 1,130
- Average game length
- 42 moves
- Years covered
- 1863–2026
Slav Defense is the opening filed under ECO code D10, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3. It belongs to the Slav Defense family; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,130 games on this line — the 102nd most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1863 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2000s, with 329 games. An average game here lasts 42 moves.
White wins 34% of those games, 45% end in a draw, and Black wins 21%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 7 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 10 points.
From this position the most popular move is 3...Nf6, played in 1,055 games, followed by 3...dxc4 (35) and 3...e6 (25). After 3...Nf6 White scores 33% and Black 21%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Mamedyarov,S (144 games); on the Black side, Shirov,A (114).
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 34% (382)
- Draws 45% (512)
- Black 21% (236)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3...Nf6 | 1,055 | 33/46/21 | — |
| 3...dxc4 | 35 | 55/31/14 | — |
| 3...e6 | 25 | 48/32/20 | — |
| 3...e5 | 14 | 50/21/29 | — |
| 3...Be6 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
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
Played most often by
As White
- Mamedyarov,S 144
- Karpov, Anatoly 43
- Aronian,L 31
As Black
- Shirov,A 114
- Shirov, Alexei 54
- Kramnik, Vladimir 41
Games per decade
- 1860s 1
- 1880s 1
- 1890s 2
- 1900s 7
- 1910s 5
- 1920s 21
- 1930s 16
- 1940s 8
- 1950s 30
- 1960s 21
- 1970s 7
- 1980s 29
- 1990s 208
- 2000s 329
- 2010s 301
- 2020s 144
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarana,A | Giri,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Final |
| Sevian,Samuel | So,W | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team 5-8th |
| Carlsen,M | Dang,D | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 19th May 2026 |
| Duda,J | Carlsen,M | 0-1 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 2nd Jul 2026 |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Firouzja,Alireza | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Roubalik,J | Shirov,A | 1-0 | 2025 | grenke Chess Open 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Slav Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code D10, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3. It belongs to the Slav Defense family.
Is the Slav Defense good for White or for Black?
In 1,130 master games on this line White wins 34%, 45% are drawn and Black wins 21%. 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?
3...Nf6 — played in 1,055 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Slav Defense?
On the White side Mamedyarov,S (144), Karpov, Anatoly (43), Aronian,L (31); on the Black side Shirov,A (114), Shirov, Alexei (54), Kramnik, Vladimir (41).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
Play this opening against the Katuranga bot, then review the game — the engine marks every brilliant move, mistake and blunder.