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Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation

28K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

49.1%

45%55%
Floor48.6%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 49.6%.

Measured over 28K games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 8.0 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 28K games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
28K
Best context
54.0% at 1800-1999 Rapid
Worst context
44.5% at 2200-2499 Rapid
Average game length
39 moves
Games that end decisively
92.0%
Draws
8.0%

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 · Black score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It falls away as the rating rises: 57.7% at 0-999, 44.8% at 2500+.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
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, Bullet: 53.0% expected score (15 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 51.3% expected score (37 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 47.2% expected score (16 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 50.0% expected score (7 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 54.9% expected score (101 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (78 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (18 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 46.9% expected score (286 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.5% expected score (335 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 57.3% expected score (74 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 67.3% expected score (13 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (548 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 50.8% expected score (1,263 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 54.2% expected score (250 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 46.2% expected score (38 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (1,228 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 50.4% expected score (3,536 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 54.0% expected score (703 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 62.4% expected score (95 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 49.7% expected score (1,611 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.6% expected score (5,542 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.4% expected score (1,307 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 37.8% expected score (97 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (2,336 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 48.0% expected score (5,029 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 44.5% expected score (800 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 38.0% expected score (61 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 46.0% expected score (1,336 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 46.1% expected score (1,026 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 43.6% expected score (246 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 43.5% expected score (37 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Semi-Slav Defense
51.5%
Variations (5)
Semi-Slav Defense: Accelerated Move Order
50.8%
Semi-Slav Defense: Main Line
51.8%
Semi-Slav Defense: Marshall Gambit
53.5%
Semi-Slav Defense: Noteboom Variation
49.8%
Semi-Slav Defense: Normal Variation
48.8%
Continuations (2)
Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation, Larsen Variation
43.9%
Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation, Kaidanov Gambit
41.5%
Analyze Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation scores 49.1% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 48.6% and 49.6% — from 28K 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
28K+ 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: Meran Variation, Wade Variation win rate?

Playing the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation, Black wins 45.1%, draws 8.0% and loses 46.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.1%. It rests on 28K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation perform best?

The Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation performs best for Black at 1600-1799, with an Expected Score of 51.5% (2.1K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 49.2% in Blitz (17K games) against 50.5% in Rapid (3.4K games).

How sharp is the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation?

The Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation has a sharpness score of 92.0 (decisive), meaning 92.0% of games end decisively. Average game length is 39 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 52.1%, draws 1.3% and loses 46.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 52.8%. It rests on 197 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 48.8%, draws 2.5% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.1%. It rests on 708 Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 48.8%, draws 5.3% and loses 45.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 51.5%. It rests on 2.1K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 47.9%, draws 5.3% and loses 46.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.6%. It rests on 5.6K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 46.7%, draws 6.3% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.9%. It rests on 8.6K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 44.2%, draws 6.8% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.6%. It rests on 8.2K Lichess games, which average 40 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 32.2%, draws 27.1% and loses 40.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 45.8%. It rests on 2.6K Lichess games, which average 54 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 44.9%, draws 7.1% and loses 48.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.5%. It rests on 7.5K Lichess games.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 45.4%, draws 7.6% and loses 47.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 17K Lichess games.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 45.0%, draws 10.9% and loses 44.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.5%. It rests on 3.4K Lichess games.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 37.8%, draws 19.1% and loses 43.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 47.4%. It rests on 341 Lichess games.

Is the Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation a good opening?

The Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Wade Variation is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 45.1% of its games and loses 46.9%. It performs best at 1600-1799. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.