Chess Opening Theory/1. d4/1...Nf6/2. c4/2...g6/3. Nc3/3...d5

(Redirected from Chess/Grünfeld Defence)
Grünfeld Defence
a b c d e f g h
8 a8 b8 c8 d8 e8 f8 g8 h8 8
7 a7 b7 c7 d7 e7 f7 g7 h7 7
6 a6 b6 c6 d6 e6 f6 g6 h6 6
5 a5 b5 c5 d5 e5 f5 g5 h5 5
4 a4 b4 c4 d4 e4 f4 g4 h4 4
3 a3 b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 g3 h3 3
2 a2 b2 c2 d2 e2 f2 g2 h2 2
1 a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1 1
a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN)
Moves: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5

Grünfeld Defence edit

This is the classic starting position of the Grünfeld Defence, although d5 can be delayed if White has delayed e4 which typically happens if Nf3 is played at some stage.

Black plays d5 and challenges White's occupation of the center. White has a range of choices, the main one is to exchange the pawns on d5 to displace Black's pieces.

During the 1920s, European chess was in revolution, with the entry of the Nimzo-Indian Defence into mainstream opening theory. The masters of the day termed this the "Modern style". Then, in 1922, a well-known master named Ernst Grünfeld came up with a new system that started bashing the great masters of the day, including Alekhine, Kostic, Sämisch, and Colle. This came to be known as the new "hypermodern" style, and Grünfeld, true to hypermodern tastes, showed in pure form how the previously accepted classical dogma could be wrong, and that a pawn center could be an object of attack as well as a boon.

The main battleground of philosophies is the Exchange Variation, 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3. White's pawn center gains space, but Black has excellent play along the long, dark diagonal from a1 to h8, and can eventually target d4 with moves like ...Bg7, ...Rd8, ...c5, ...Nc6, and occasionally ...Qa5. Eventually he may also bring a bishop to fianchetto on the other diagonal, targeting e4.

The more classical moves are 4.Nf3, 4.Bf4, and 4.Qb3, which are more conservative ways to fight Black's system. The pawn center still remains, but Black's counterplay is still adequate. The most positional move is 4.Bg5.

Theory table edit

For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation..

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5

4 5 6 7 8
Exchange Variation cxd5
Nxd5
e4
Nxc3
bxc3
Bg7
Bc4
O-O
Ne2
Nc6
+/=
Nadanian Variation cxd5
Nxd5
Na4
Bg7
e4
Nb6
Be3
O-O
Nf3
Bg4
=
Brinckmann Attack Bf4
Bg7
e3
c5
dxc5
Qa5
Rc1
Ne4
cxd5
Nxc3
+/=
Russian System Nf3
Bg7
Qb3
dxc4
Qxc4
O-O
e4
Nc6
Be2
Bg4
=
Stockholm Variation Bg5
Ne4
Bh4
Nxc3
bxc3
dxc4
e3
Be6
Qb1
b6
=
Lutikov Variation f3
Bg7
e4
dxe4
fxe4
c5
e5
Nh5
+/=
Schlechter Variation, Makogonov Variation e3
Bg7
=/=

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References edit

de Firmian, Nick. Modern Chess Openings, 15th Edition. New York, NY: Random House, 2008.