Grünfeld Defense: Three Knights Variation

Main line

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bg5 Ne4 6.cxd5 Nxg5 7.Nxg5 e6

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.

1. 1.d4 White advances the pawn to d4, staking a claim in the center and giving the bishop and queen room to develop.
2. 1...Nf6 Black jumps the knight to f6, a strong central square. It attacks the d5 area and gets a piece into the game quickly.
3. 2.c4 White pushes the pawn to c4, grabbing even more space in the center. Together with d4, these two pawns form a powerful pair.
4. 2...g6 Black slides the pawn to g6, making room for the bishop to slide out to g7. This is the start of the Grunfeld setup.
5. 3.Nc3 The knight hops to c3, protecting the d4 and c4 pawns and helping White control the center with pieces as well as pawns.
6. 3...d5 Black strikes back in the center with d5, directly challenging White's two central pawns. This is the heart of the Grunfeld Defense.
7. 4.Nf3 The knight leaps to f3, a great central square. It supports the d4 pawn and eyes important squares in the middle of the board.
8. 4...Bg7 Black develops the bishop to g7, completing the fianchetto. The bishop now looks powerfully down the long diagonal toward the center.
9. 5.Bg5 White brings the bishop to g5, pinning the f6 knight against the queen. This puts pressure on Black's pieces right away.
10. 5...Ne4 Black leaps the knight forward to e4, heading toward the center. The knight lands on an active square and threatens to cause trouble.
11. 6.cxd5 White captures the pawn on d5 with the c4 pawn, winning material in the center and opening lines for the pieces.
12. 6...Nxg5 Black captures the bishop on g5 with the knight, winning the bishop. Black picks up a piece and gets rid of the pin.

Open the full annotated variation tree — free account

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.

Most played continuations (2200-2400 rating)

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bg5 Ne4 6.cxd5 Nxg5:

• Nxg5 — played 100% of the time (White wins 47.7%, draws 7.6%, Black wins 44.7%)

Related openings

• Grünfeld Defense
• Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from the Exchange Grünfeld?

The Exchange Variation goes 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4, handing White a huge pawn centre and Black a clear target — the sharpest and most analysed branch. The Three Knights keeps the tension with 4.Nf3 instead, leading to slower positions where White may still transpose to the Exchange later or head for a Russian System with Qb3.

What is the Grünfeld's core idea?

Invite White to build a big centre, then demolish it. Black fianchettoes on g7, allows the pawns on d4 and e4, and attacks them with ...c5, ...Nc6 and pressure down the long diagonal. It is a hypermodern opening in the textbook sense: control the centre with pieces from a distance rather than occupying it.

Is the Grünfeld too theoretical for club players?

The Exchange Variation genuinely is heavy on theory. Lines like this one are far more manageable, and the underlying plan — pressure d4, break with ...c5, activate the g7 bishop — repeats in every game. Many club players play the Grünfeld successfully by understanding that plan and accepting they will occasionally be out-prepared.