Grünfeld Defense
You play Black · 45 variations
Mixed practice
The machine picks a different variation every time.
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10 positions: find the next theory move in each. No take-backs, no hints.
Main variations · 27
- Exchange Variation, Modern Exchange Variation, Pawn Grab LineD851. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Rb1 O-O 9. Be2 Nc6 10. d5 Bxc3+10 moves
- Exchange Variation, Modern Exchange Variation, Kramnik's LineD851. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 c5 8. h38 moves
- Exchange Variation, Sokolsky VariationD891. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 O-O 9. O-O Nc6 10. Be3 Bg4 11. f3 Na5 12. Bd3 cxd4 13. cxd4 Be6 14. d514 moves
- Exchange Variation, Seville VariationD871. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 O-O 10. O-O Bg4 11. f3 Na5 12. Bxf7+12 moves
- Exchange Variation, Spassky VariationD881. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 O-O 10. O-O cxd4 11. cxd411 moves
- Exchange Variation, Larsen VariationD861. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 O-O 8. Ne2 Qd7 9. O-O b69 moves
- Exchange Variation, Simagin's Improved VariationD861. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 O-O 8. Ne2 Nc68 moves
- Exchange Variation, Simagin's Lesser VariationD861. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 O-O 8. Ne2 b68 moves
- Exchange Variation, Nadanian AttackD851. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Na45 moves
- Russian Variation, Keres VariationD981. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 Bg4 8. Be3 Nfd7 9. Be2 Nb6 10. Qd3 Nc6 11. O-O-O11 moves
- Russian Variation, Yugoslav VariationD991. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 Bg4 8. Be3 Nfd7 9. Qb3 c59 moves
- Russian Variation, Byrne VariationD971. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 Nc67 moves
- Russian Variation, Hungarian VariationD971. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 a67 moves
- Russian Variation, Levenfish VariationD971. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 b67 moves
- Russian Variation, Prins VariationD971. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 Na67 moves
- Russian Variation, Szabo VariationD971. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 c67 moves
- Three Knights Variation, Burille Variation, Reversed TarraschA561. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. e3 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 cxd4 7. exd4 d5 8. O-O Nc68 moves
- Three Knights Variation, Hungarian VariationD931. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e36 moves
- Three Knights Variation, Paris VariationD941. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Bd36 moves
- Three Knights Variation, Petrosian SystemD911. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bg55 moves
- Botvinnik VariationD951. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Qb3 e66 moves
- Brinckmann Attack, Grünfeld Gambit AcceptedD841. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bf4 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Nxd5 Qxd5 8. Bxc78 moves
- Brinckmann Attack, Grünfeld Gambit, Botvinnik VariationD831. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bf4 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Rc1 c5 7. dxc5 Be67 moves
- Brinckmann Attack, Reshevsky GambitD831. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bf4 Bg7 5. Rc1 O-O 6. e3 c5 7. dxc5 Qa57 moves
- Classical Variation, Modern DefenseD771. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O d5 6. c4 dxc46 moves
- Classical Variation, Polgar VariationD771. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O d5 6. c4 Nc66 moves
- Ultra-Delayed Exchange VariationD791. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 c6 6. O-O d5 7. cxd5 cxd57 moves
Other variations · 18
- Delayed Exchange VariationD751. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. g3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Bg2 c5 8. O-O8 moves
- Delayed Exchange VariationD751. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. O-O c5 8. dxc58 moves
- Delayed Exchange VariationD761. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. O-O Nb67 moves
- with g3D721. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nb6 7. Ne27 moves
- with g3D731. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf35 moves
- Flohr DefenseD941. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O Bf57 moves
- Flohr VariationD901. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qa4+5 moves
- Gibbon GambitD801. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. g44 moves
- Lundin VariationD801. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Ne4 5. Nxe4 dxe4 6. Qd2 c56 moves
- Lutikov Variation, Murrey AttackD801. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. f3 c5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Na46 moves
- Makogonov VariationD941. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. b46 moves
- Opocensky VariationD941. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Bd26 moves
- Pachman VariationD951. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. e3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Bxc4 O-O 7. Nf3 Nbd7 8. Ng58 moves
- Smyslov DefenseD941. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O Bg47 moves
- Zaitsev GambitD801. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. h44 moves
- Exchange VariationD711. c4 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. d4 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Nf36 moves
- Goglidze AttackD701. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 d53 moves
- with Nf3D701. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 d53 moves
What is the Grünfeld Defense?
The Grünfeld Defense arises after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5. Black allows White to build a big pawn centre and then attacks it with pieces and pawns: the bishop on g7, the ...c5 break, the knight on c6 and often the bishop on g4. Named after Ernst Grünfeld, it is a hypermodern, dynamic opening and one of the most respected and most theoretical defences to 1.d4 at the highest level.
Main ideas and plans
The critical test is the Exchange Variation, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7, where White gets a broad centre on c3, d4 and e4. Your plan is pressure on d4 with ...c5, ...Nc6, ...Bg4 and sometimes a rook on d8; if you win the d4 pawn or liquidate the centre, your queenside majority and long-diagonal bishop become strong in the endgame. White can develop with Bc4 and Ne2 to back up d4, or with Nf3 in the Modern Exchange Variation. Its most famous branch is the Pawn Grab Line, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Rb1 O-O 9.Be2 cxd4 10.cxd4 Qa5+ 11.Bd2 Qxa2, where you take a pawn and must survive White's central initiative.
In the Russian Variation, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 O-O 7.e4, White's queen forces the issue in the centre; you choose between ...a6 (the Hungarian Variation, preparing ...b5), ...Bg4 and ...Na6, each aiming to undermine e4 and d4 rather than to defend. Against calmer systems such as the Three Knights Variation with Nf3 or the Brinckmann Attack with Bf4, the same principles apply: quick castling, the ...c5 break and piece pressure on d4. After Bf4 and e3 you can even allow White to win the c7 pawn, which is the idea of the Grünfeld Gambit, in return for fast development.
Who is it for?
The Grünfeld suits dynamic, concrete players who are comfortable giving White the centre and fighting against it, and who are prepared to memorise forcing lines. It is not for the faint-hearted: if your counterplay is too slow, White's centre rolls forward with d5 or e5 and your position can collapse, and the Exchange Variation requires precise knowledge. Start with the Exchange Variation structure and the typical ...c5 and ...Nc6 pressure on d4, and know what to do when White avoids the main lines with Bf4 or Bg5.