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Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation

102K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

56.4%

45%60%
Floor56.1%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 56.6%.

Measured over 102K games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 5.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 102K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
102K
Best context
61.8% at 2200-2499 Rapid
Worst context
53.1% at 1400-1599 Rapid
Average game length
38 moves
Games that end decisively
94.4%
Draws
5.6%

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: 54.0% at 0-999, 57.8% 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: 55.4% expected score (119 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 56.0% expected score (275 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.5% expected score (95 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 50.0% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 58.9% expected score (498 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 56.4% expected score (567 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 58.4% expected score (189 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 83.4% expected score (3 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 55.1% expected score (1,230 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 55.7% expected score (1,581 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 54.5% expected score (323 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 58.6% expected score (16 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 39.5% expected score (8 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 54.5% expected score (2,522 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 56.0% expected score (3,346 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 53.1% expected score (766 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 42.6% expected score (39 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 43.3% expected score (21 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 54.3% expected score (4,534 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 55.0% expected score (7,522 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 56.3% expected score (1,294 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 52.7% expected score (108 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 87.1% expected score (12 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 55.7% expected score (7,543 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 55.2% expected score (12,992 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 55.0% expected score (2,260 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 48.3% expected score (143 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 56.9% expected score (8,825 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 56.2% expected score (14,133 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 55.3% expected score (2,068 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 57.8% expected score (95 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 30.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 56.3% expected score (9,053 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 58.7% expected score (12,619 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 61.8% expected score (995 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 73.6% expected score (24 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 60.0% expected score (4,339 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 59.3% expected score (2,017 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 66.8% expected score (97 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 45.3% expected score (9 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%
Analyze Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation scores 56.4% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 56.1% and 56.6% — from 102K 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
102K+ 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: Quiet Variation win rate?

Playing the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation, White wins 53.5%, draws 5.6% and loses 40.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.4%. It rests on 102K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation perform best?

The Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 59.8% (6.5K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 56.5% in Blitz (55K games) against 56.1% in Rapid (8.1K games).

How sharp is the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation?

The Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation has a sharpness score of 94.4 (decisive), meaning 94.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 38 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 52.9%, draws 3.8% and loses 43.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 489 Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 56.6%, draws 2.1% and loses 41.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.7%. It rests on 1.3K Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 53.9%, draws 2.9% and loses 43.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.4%. It rests on 3.2K Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 53.4%, draws 3.2% and loses 43.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.0%. It rests on 6.7K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 52.7%, draws 4.2% and loses 43.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 54.8%. It rests on 13K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 52.7%, draws 5.1% and loses 42.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 55.3%. It rests on 23K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 53.6%, draws 5.4% and loses 40.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.4%. It rests on 25K Lichess games, which average 38 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 54.4%, draws 7.0% and loses 38.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 57.9%. It rests on 23K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 54.3%, draws 11.0% and loses 34.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 59.8%. It rests on 6.5K Lichess games, which average 42 moves.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 54.3%, draws 4.0% and loses 41.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.3%. It rests on 39K Lichess games.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 53.2%, draws 6.6% and loses 40.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.5%. It rests on 55K Lichess games.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 52.6%, draws 7.0% and loses 40.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 56.1%. It rests on 8.1K Lichess games.

What is the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 47.2%, draws 11.5% and loses 41.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 53.0%. It rests on 438 Lichess games.

Is the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation a good opening?

The Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 53.5% of its games and loses 40.8%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.