Slav Defense: Quiet Variation, Pin Defense

An entry in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO D11), reached after 8 half-moves: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4.

Black rook — Use ← → arrows or click moves to step through.

Black knight — Use ← → arrows or click moves to step through.

End of this line

No further variations branch from this position in our database. To explore neighbouring ideas:

About this opening

Slav Defense: Quiet Variation, Pin Defense is an opening in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, classified under code D11. ECO group D (D00–D99) covers closed games and semi-closed games beginning 1.d4 d5, covering the Queen's Gambit, Slav, Grünfeld and related queen-pawn structures. This particular variation is reached after 8 half-moves from the starting position, with the move sequence 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4.

It belongs to the Slav Defense family. Within that family this is a level-2 branch (the Quiet Variation → Pin Defense line). The immediate parent line is Slav Defense: Quiet Variation, transitioned via 4…Bg4.

The opening sequence in prose form: 1.d4 d5, 2.c4 c6, 3.Nf3 Nf6, 4.e3 Bg4. From this position the encyclopaedia records no further canonical continuations — practical play branches into unnamed transpositions or returns to the parent line for alternative ideas.