Indian · a defense for Black
Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Classical Variation
13/13
1.d4Nf62.c4g63.Nc3d54.cxd5Nxd55.e4Nxc36.bxc3Bg77.Bc4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Classical Variation492k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
65%317k50%
34%169k50%
0.3%1.5k40%
0.3%1.4k44%
0.2%1.0k44%
0.2%86139%
0.1%42341%
0.1%37137%
0.1%29440%
0%16130%
Famous games in this line7.1k master games
Carlsen, M. (2872) – Vachier Lagrave, M. (2780)Carlsen, M. (2872) – Nepomniachtchi, I. (2767)Carlsen, Magnus (2863) – So, Wesley (2770)Giri, Anish (2764) – Carlsen, Magnus (2863)Caruana, Fabiano (2842) – Nepomniachtchi, Ian (2774)Caruana, Fabiano (2835) – So, Wesley (2770)Carlsen, M. (2872) – Artemiev, V. (2731)Topalov, Veselin (2805) – Anand, Viswanathan (2787)Heroes of this opening Caruana, Fabiano · Carlsen, M. · Topalov, Veselin
- Family
- Grünfeld Defense
- Category
- Indian
- First move
- 1.d4
- ECO
- D86
- Line
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4
FianchettoSharpHypermodern
★ Read the guide: Grünfeld DefenseExplore all 59 Grünfeld Defense lines →Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Larsen Variation7…O-O 8.Ne2 Qd7Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Spassky Variation7…c5 8.Ne2 O-O · 1 deeper lineGrünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Simagin's Lesser Variation7…O-O 8.Ne2 b6Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Simagin's Improved Variation7…O-O 8.Ne2 Nc6
Nearby lines in the family
From the archives
Ernst Grünfeld introduced the counter-strike ...d5 in 1922 and beat the future world champion Alekhine with it in Vienna that November. Thirteen-year-old Bobby Fischer's 'Game of the Century' against Donald Byrne — the queen sacrifice every chess kid learns — transposed into the same opening. Give White the centre, then chop it down.
Study this opening