Slav Defense win rate

White scored 53.5% (margin 0.7 points) in 16,956 rated games of the Slav Defense, ECO D10, played between players within 100 rating points on 1 September 2026. It ranked number 28 of 117 openings by popularity and made up 1.0% of all games.

50.9%

43.9%

White wins 50.9%
Draws 5.2%
Black wins 43.9%

16,956 games

How often does White win in the Slav Defense?

White won 50.9% of the 16,956 games, 5.2% were drawn and Black won 43.9%. White's score of 53.5% is higher than White's score across all openings (51.9%) by 1.6 points, more than the margin of 0.7 points.

Results of 16,956 Slav Defense games, 1 September 2026.
Result	Games	Share
White wins	8,626	50.9%
Draws	883	5.2%
Black wins	7,447	43.9%

Does the Slav Defense score differently at different ratings?

White's score is highest at 2000 and above (55.1%) and lowest at 1600 to 1999 (52.7%). That spread of 2.3 points is inside the two margins added together, so the data show no clear difference between the bands.

Players rated 2000 and above choose the Slav Defense most often relative to their other openings, in 1.8 percent of their games.

White's score in the Slav Defense by the lower rating of the two players, 1 September 2026.
Rating band	Games	Share of the band	White score	Margin (points)
1200 to 1599	4,726	0.8%	54.0%	1.4
1600 to 1999	8,175	1.3%	52.7%	1.1
2000 and above	2,879	1.8%	55.1%	1.7

How does the Slav Defense do in blitz, rapid and classical?

The time control changes who tends to win, because the clock matters more in faster games. Rows with fewer than 1,500 games are left out.

White's score in the Slav Defense by time control, 1 September 2026.
Time control	Games	White score	Margin (points)
Blitz	13,267	53.3%	0.8
Rapid	3,563	53.9%	1.6

What are the most played lines of the Slav Defense?

The most played named line is the Exchange Variation, with 2,400 games and a White score of 54.1%. The table lists the ten most played lines that reached 300 games; a line below that is counted in the last row.

Named lines of the Slav Defense, most played first, 1 September 2026.
Line	Games	White score	Margin (points)
Exchange Variation	2,400	54.1%	1.9
Modern Line	2,032	56.4%	2.1
Three Knights Variation	1,825	54.9%	2.2
Quiet Variation, Schallopp Defense	920	46.7%	3.1
Slav Gambit, Alekhine Attack	503	57.0%	4.3
Quiet Variation, Pin Defense	495	50.6%	4.3
Schlechter Variation	312	56.3%	5.4
Main line and less played lines	8,469	52.9%	1.0

How were these opening statistics measured?

Rated Blitz, Rapid and Classical games on 1 September 2026 between players within 100 rating points, banded by the lower rating. A score is wins plus half the draws, with a 95 percent margin. The hub page explains the method in full.

Frequently asked questions

What is the win rate of the Slav Defense?

White won 50.9%, drew 5.2% and lost 43.9% of 16,956 games, a White score of 53.5% with a margin of 0.7 points. These are games on Lichess on 1 September 2026.

Is the Slav Defense good for White?

At these ratings White's score was higher than White's score across all openings (51.9%) by 1.6 points, more than the margin of 0.7 points. A difference of a point or two is small, and the side that picks an opening also picks which games reach it, so the number describes what happened at these ratings and is not a ruling on the opening.

What is the most popular line of the Slav Defense?

The Exchange Variation was the most played named line, with 2,400 games, which is 14.2% of the Slav Defense games.

Sources

Lichess open database, standard rated games (CC0), file for September 2026, read 2026-10-22

Related guides and tools

Last updated 2026-10-22.

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