- ECO code
- D15
- Moves
- 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3
- Family
- Slav Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 1,399
- Average game length
- 43 moves
- Years covered
- 1903–2026
Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation is the opening filed under ECO code D15, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3. It belongs to the Slav Defense family and is known as the Three Knights Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,399 games on this line — the 85th 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 2000s, with 392 games. An average game here lasts 43 moves.
White wins 33% of those games, 44% 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 9 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4...e6, played in 671 games, followed by 4...dxc4 (522) and 4...a6 (181). 4...e6 leads into Semi-Slav Defense. After 4...e6 White scores 31% and Black 27%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Grischuk,A (64 games); on the Black side, Shirov,A (152).
4 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Semi-Slav Defense; Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack; Slav Defense: Alapin Variation.
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Results in master games
- White 33% (466)
- Draws 44% (606)
- Black 23% (327)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4...e6 | 671 | 31/42/27 | Semi-Slav Defense |
| 4...dxc4 | 522 | 34/47/19 | Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack |
| 4...a6 | 181 | 36/43/21 | — |
| 4...g6 | 15 | 54/33/13 | — |
| 4...Qb6 | 4 | 50/0/50 | — |
| 4...Bf5 | 3 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 4...Nbd7 | 2 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 4...Ne4 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
Variations from this position
- Semi-Slav Defense · 4...e6 · 671 games
- Slav Defense: Two Knights Attack · 4...dxc4 · 522 games
- Slav Defense: Alapin Variation · 4...dxc4 5.a4 · 466 games
- Slav Defense: Czech Variation · 4...dxc4 5.a4 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
Played most often by
As White
- Grischuk,A 64
- Aronian,L 62
- Ding Liren 58
As Black
- Shirov,A 152
- Smyslov, Vassily 53
- Karjakin,Sergey 42
Games per decade
- 1900s 1
- 1920s 14
- 1930s 66
- 1940s 15
- 1950s 40
- 1960s 23
- 1970s 15
- 1980s 41
- 1990s 155
- 2000s 392
- 2010s 358
- 2020s 279
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Ohanyan,Emin | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Mar 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 |
| Praggnanandhaa,R | Caruana,F | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE Candidates 2026 |
| Adhiban,Baskaran | Ivanchuk,V | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | TCh-FRA Top 16 Haute 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code D15, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3. It belongs to the Slav Defense family.
Is the Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation good for White or for Black?
In 1,399 master games on this line White wins 33%, 44% 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: Three Knights Variation?
4...e6 — played in 671 of the master games on this line, which leads into Semi-Slav Defense.
Which grandmasters play the Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation?
On the White side Grischuk,A (64), Aronian,L (62), Ding Liren (58); on the Black side Shirov,A (152), Smyslov, Vassily (53), Karjakin,Sergey (42).
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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