- ECO code
- D11
- Moves
- 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3
- Family
- Slav Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 2,574
- Average game length
- 43 moves
- Years covered
- 1903–2026
Slav Defense: Modern Line is the opening filed under ECO code D11, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3. It belongs to the Slav Defense family and is known as the Modern Line; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 2,574 games on this line — the 48th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1903 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2010s, with 699 games. An average game here lasts 43 moves.
White wins 35% of those games, 42% end in a draw, and Black wins 23%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 5 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 7 points.
From this position the most popular move is 3...Nf6, played in 2,503 games, followed by 3...e6 (64) and 3...dxc4 (4). After 3...Nf6 White scores 34% and Black 23%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Mamedyarov,S (117 games); on the Black side, Shirov,A (290).
7 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation; Slav Defense: Quiet Variation; Semi-Slav Defense.
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Results in master games
- White 35% (890)
- Draws 42% (1,094)
- Black 23% (590)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3...Nf6 | 2,503 | 34/43/23 | — |
| 3...e6 | 64 | 45/38/17 | — |
| 3...dxc4 | 4 | 75/25/0 | — |
| 3...a6 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 3...Bf5 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 3...g6 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation · 3...Nf6 4.Nc3 · 1,399 games
- Slav Defense: Quiet Variation · 3...Nf6 4.e3 · 737 games
- Semi-Slav Defense · 3...Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 · 671 games
- Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack · 3...Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 · 522 games
- Slav Defense: Alapin Variation · 3...Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 · 466 games
- Slav Defense: Czech Variation · 3...Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 · 368 games
- Slav Defense: Quiet Variation, Schallopp Defense · 3...Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 · 321 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
Played most often by
As White
- Mamedyarov,S 117
- Ivanchuk,V 89
- Aronian,L 88
As Black
- Shirov,A 290
- Smyslov, Vassily 77
- Karjakin,Sergey 75
Games per decade
- 1900s 4
- 1910s 3
- 1920s 30
- 1930s 96
- 1940s 34
- 1950s 51
- 1960s 36
- 1970s 27
- 1980s 56
- 1990s 210
- 2000s 689
- 2010s 699
- 2020s 639
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Ohanyan,Emin | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Mar 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Sargsyan,Anna M. | 1-0 | 2026 | 3rd 3-0 Thu 15th Jan 2026 |
| Firouzja,Alireza | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | SpeedChess Final 2025 |
| Wojtaszek,R | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | GCT Super Rapid Poland |
| Carlsen,M | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Final |
| Nakamura,Hi | Lazavik,Denis | 0-1 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 19th Feb 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Slav Defense: Modern Line?
It is the opening with ECO code D11, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3. It belongs to the Slav Defense family.
Is the Slav Defense: Modern Line good for White or for Black?
In 2,574 master games on this line White wins 35%, 42% are drawn and Black wins 23%. 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: Modern Line?
3...Nf6 — played in 2,503 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Slav Defense: Modern Line?
On the White side Mamedyarov,S (117), Ivanchuk,V (89), Aronian,L (88); on the Black side Shirov,A (290), Smyslov, Vassily (77), Karjakin,Sergey (75).
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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