Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line
1.3M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
54.0%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 54.1%.
Measured over 1.3M games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 4.3 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 1.3M games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 1.3M
- Best context
- 61.7% at 2000-2199 Classical
- Worst context
- 52.5% at 1600-1799 Blitz
- Average game length
- 36 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 95.7%
- Draws
- 4.3%
Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.
Where it holds · White score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 49.5% at 0-999, 68.2% at 2500+.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-999 | |||||
| 1000-1199 | |||||
| 1200-1399 | |||||
| 1400-1599 | |||||
| 1600-1799 | |||||
| 1800-1999 | |||||
| 2000-2199 | |||||
| 2200-2499 | |||||
| 2500+ |
Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control
- 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 44.2% expected score (24 games)
- 0-999 rating, Bullet: 53.8% expected score (3,859 games)
- 0-999 rating, Blitz: 53.1% expected score (5,390 games)
- 0-999 rating, Rapid: 54.2% expected score (1,359 games)
- 0-999 rating, Classical: 42.4% expected score (5 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 64.1% expected score (34 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 54.3% expected score (12,944 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 54.3% expected score (15,632 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 55.6% expected score (4,202 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 51.0% expected score (52 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 45.1% expected score (152 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 53.6% expected score (32,013 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 53.3% expected score (35,523 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 54.3% expected score (9,136 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 56.3% expected score (244 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 56.6% expected score (402 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 53.1% expected score (58,485 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 53.2% expected score (69,065 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 54.4% expected score (16,333 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 56.0% expected score (764 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 59.2% expected score (776 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 53.4% expected score (103,070 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.5% expected score (127,272 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 53.7% expected score (24,971 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 53.7% expected score (1,673 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 62.3% expected score (366 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 53.7% expected score (137,342 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.8% expected score (179,029 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 53.5% expected score (34,834 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 57.4% expected score (1,864 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 54.1% expected score (98 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 53.9% expected score (122,783 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 54.8% expected score (132,254 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.5% expected score (23,177 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 61.7% expected score (804 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 48.3% expected score (28 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 55.3% expected score (85,002 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 58.7% expected score (48,226 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 61.2% expected score (6,258 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 64.4% expected score (106 games)
- 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 83.4% expected score (3 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 58.4% expected score (18,155 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 61.4% expected score (2,740 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 61.4% expected score (223 games)
- 2500+ rating, Classical: 76.3% expected score (8 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line scores 54.0% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 53.9% and 54.1% — from 1.3M Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.
How the figures are made
- Whose games these are
- 1.3M+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
- Which games we count
- Rated games only — nothing casual.
- Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
- At least 2 moves played.
- A game is filed under White’s rating.
- Why every number comes with a range
- A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
- How much we need before we say anything
- An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line win rate?
Playing the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line, White wins 51.8%, draws 4.3% and loses 43.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 1.3M rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line perform best?
The Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 58.8% (21K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 53.8% in Blitz (615K games) against 54.6% in Rapid (120K games).
How sharp is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line?
The Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line has a sharpness score of 95.7 (very decisive), meaning 95.7% of games end decisively. Average game length is 36 moves.
What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line win rate at 0-999?
At 0-999, White wins 52.2%, draws 2.5% and loses 45.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.5%. It rests on 11K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.
What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line win rate at 1000-1199?
At 1000-1199, White wins 53.0%, draws 2.9% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.5%. It rests on 33K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.
What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line win rate at 1200-1399?
At 1200-1399, White wins 52.1%, draws 3.0% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.6%. It rests on 77K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line win rate at 1400-1599?
At 1400-1599, White wins 51.7%, draws 3.3% and loses 45.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.4%. It rests on 145K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.
What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 51.1%, draws 3.8% and loses 45.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.0%. It rests on 258K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 51.0%, draws 4.4% and loses 44.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.2%. It rests on 353K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.
What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 52.0%, draws 4.8% and loses 43.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.4%. It rests on 279K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.
What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 54.1%, draws 5.3% and loses 40.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.8%. It rests on 140K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.
What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 54.2%, draws 9.2% and loses 36.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 58.8%. It rests on 21K Lichess games, which average 43 moves.
What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line win rate in UltraBullet?
In UltraBullet, White wins 56.9%, draws 1.4% and loses 41.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.6%. It rests on 1.9K Lichess games.
What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 52.5%, draws 3.1% and loses 44.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.0%. It rests on 574K Lichess games.
What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 51.2%, draws 5.0% and loses 43.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.8%. It rests on 615K Lichess games.
What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 51.5%, draws 6.2% and loses 42.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.6%. It rests on 120K Lichess games.
What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line win rate in Classical?
In Classical, White wins 52.3%, draws 8.8% and loses 38.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.7%. It rests on 5.5K Lichess games.
Is the Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line a good opening?
The Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 51.8% of its games and loses 43.9%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.