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

Grünfeld Defence
a b c d e f g h
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black kingh8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black kinge7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black kingh7 black pawn7
6a6 black kingb6 black kingc6 black kingd6 black kinge6 black kingf6 black knightg6 black pawnh6 black king6
5a5 black kingb5 black kingc5 black kingd5 black pawne5 black kingf5 black kingg5 black kingh5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 black kingc4 white pawnd4 white pawne4 black kingf4 black kingg4 black kingh4 black king4
3a3 black kingb3 black kingc3 white knightd3 black kinge3 black kingf3 black kingg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 black kingd2 black kinge2 white pawnf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 black kingc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook1
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

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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

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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

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