Grünfeld Defense

ECO D70-D99intermediate

The Grünfeld, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5, is hypermodern chess at maximum voltage: Black invites 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3, handing White the dream pawn center — then proves it is a target. The g7 bishop, the ...c5 break and pressure down the d-file fight the center from a distance, and theory confirms the audacity: the Grünfeld is among Black's soundest and most aggressive defenses, the choice of Fischer, Kasparov and Carlsen in must-win games.

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Main line

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

White advances the pawn to d4, staking a claim in the center right away and opening lines for the bishop and queen to develop later.
Black brings the knight out to f6, a smart developing move. From this dark square, the knight watches the middle of the board and gets ready to fight for the center. Bringing your pieces out early is a great habit!
White pushes the c-pawn to c4, building a strong pawn pair in the center. Together with d4, these two pawns grab a lot of space.
Black pushes the pawn to g6, making room for the bishop to come to g7. This is the start of the Grunfeld Defense setup.
The knight leaps to c3, a strong central square. It supports the d4 pawn and gets a piece developed quickly at the same time.
Black boldly pushes the pawn to d5, directly challenging White's center. This is the key idea of the Grunfeld — fight back in the middle!
The bishop slides out to f4, joining the game on a nice open diagonal. It puts pressure on the center and helps White develop smoothly.
Black develops the bishop to g7, pointing it straight down the long diagonal toward the center. This powerful bishop is a key piece in the Grunfeld.
White plays the pawn to e3, giving the bishop on f4 extra support and keeping the center solid. It also helps prepare to develop the other pieces.
Black castles kingside, moving the king to safety behind the pawns and connecting the rooks. With the king tucked away, Black can focus on the center.
White captures the pawn on d5 with the c-pawn. This trade opens up the center and starts a lively fight for control of the middle squares.
Black recaptures on d5 with the knight, taking back the pawn. The knight lands on a powerful central square where it is very active.

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Win rates by rating

Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.

Rating	Games	White wins	Draws	Black wins	Position after
400-600	69	47.8%	1.4%	50.7%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4
600-800	199	47.2%	4%	48.7%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5
800-1000	25	52%	0%	48%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 O-O 6.cxd5
1000-1200	61	49.2%	3.3%	47.5%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 O-O
1200-1400	166	49.4%	3.6%	47%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 O-O 6.cxd5 Nxd5
1400-1600	363	43.5%	3.9%	52.6%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 O-O 6.cxd5 Nxd5
1600-1800	55	43.6%	3.6%	52.7%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 O-O 6.cxd5 Nxd5
1800-2000	65	44.6%	6.2%	49.2%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 O-O 6.cxd5 Nxd5
2000-2200	81	40.7%	9.9%	49.4%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 O-O 6.cxd5 Nxd5
2200-2400	51	47.1%	15.7%	37.2%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 O-O 6.cxd5 Nxd5

Most played continuations (1400-1600 rating)

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 O-O 6.cxd5 Nxd5:

Nxd5 — played 62.3% of the time (White wins 42.5%, draws 4%, Black wins 53.5%)
Bg3 — played 12.7% of the time (White wins 52.2%, draws 0%, Black wins 47.8%)
Nf3 — played 8.5% of the time (White wins 54.8%, draws 6.5%, Black wins 38.7%)

Related openings

Frequently asked questions

How is the Grünfeld different from the King's Indian?

Both fianchetto the king's bishop, but the philosophy is opposite: the KID closes the center with ...d6/...e5 and attacks the king; the Grünfeld liquidates the center with ...d5 and attacks the resulting pawns with pieces. The Grünfeld is more forcing, more theoretical, and structurally sounder.

Is the Grünfeld too theoretical for club players?

The Exchange Variation main lines are heavy, but the core plan is one idea executed many ways: pile on d4 with ...c5, ...Bg7, ...Qa5 and rook to d8. Club players can run far on that single principle plus a setup against the Russian System (Qb3) — and the positions reward the better-prepared side handsomely.