Grünfeld Defense

The main line

The Grünfeld Defense is reached by 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 (ECO D80). It's one of 59 named lines under this opening in the book.

Named variations (17)

• Exchange Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 (D85)
• Russian Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Qb3 (D81)
• Three Knights Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 (D90)
• Brinckmann Attack — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bf4 (D82)
• Lutikov Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. f3 (D80)
• Gibbon Gambit — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. g4 (D80)
• Zaitsev Gambit — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. h4 (D80)
• Stockholm Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 (D80)
• Counterthrust Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 d5 (E60)
• Flohr Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qa4+ (D90)
• Makogonov Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. b4 (D94)
• Opocensky Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Bd2 (D94)
• Botvinnik Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Qb3 e6 (D95)
• Lundin Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Ne4 5. Nxe4 dxe4 6. Qd2 c5 (D80)
• Flohr Defense — 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O Bf5 (D94)
• Smyslov Defense — 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O Bg4 (D94)
• Pachman Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. e3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Bxc4 O-O 7. Nf3 Nbd7 8. Ng5 (D95)

Analyze the Grünfeld Defense

Play through this opening on the free analysis board, or review one of your own gamesto see how accurately you handled it — every move classified, with the engine's best line on each mistake.

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