Grünfeld Defence

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This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

Grünfeld Defence
Moves	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5
ECO	D80-D99
Origin	Bad Pistyan, Piešťany, 1922
Named after	Ernst Grünfeld
Parent	Indian Defence
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The Grünfeld Defence (ECO codes D70-D99) is a chess opening characterised by the moves:

1. d4 Nf6

2. c4 g6

3. Nc3 d5

The opening relies on one of the main principles of the hypermodern school, which was coming to the fore in the 1920s — that a large pawn centre could be a liability rather than an asset.

Contents 1 History 2 Exchange Variation 3 Lines with 4.Bf4 and the Grünfeld Gambit 4 The Neo-Grünfeld Defence 5 Other variations 6 Notes 7 Further reading 8 External links

[edit] History

The opening is named after Ernst Grünfeld, the player who first employed the defence in the 1920s. Ironically, though, Grünfeld usually employed a very classical style. The defence was later adopted by a number of prominent players, including Vasily Smyslov, Viktor Korchnoi and Bobby Fischer. Garry Kasparov has often used the defence, including in his World Championship matches against Anatoly Karpov in 1986, 1987 and 1990, and Vladimir Kramnik in 2000. Other currently active notable players who employ the opening include Loek Van Wely, Peter Svidler, Peter Leko and Luke McShane.^[1]

The game of the century between Donald Byrne and 13-year old Bobby Fischer on October 17, 1956 started with this opening, although that game arrived at a Grünfeld position through a transposition of the order of the moves above (using 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. d4 O-O 5. Bf4 d5).

[edit] Exchange Variation

The main line of the Grünfeld, the Exchange Variation (ECO codes D85-D89) is defined by the continuation 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4. Now White has an imposing looking centre - and the main continuation 5...Nxc3 bxc3 strengthens it still further. Black generally attacks White's centre with ...c5 and ...Bg7, often followed by moves like ...cxd4, ...Bg4, and ...Nc6. White often uses his big centre to launch an attack against Black's king, which generally ends up on g8 after Black castles king-side. One subvariation played by Karpov in a number of games, including four games in his 1987 world championship match against Kasparov in Seville, Spain, is the Seville Variation, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 O-O 10.O-O Bg4 11.f3 Na5 12.Bxf7+. Play typically continues 12...Rxf7 13.fxg4 Rxf1+ 14.Kxf1.

White can develop his pieces a number of ways in the Exchange Variation. For decades, theory held that the only correct way for White to develop was with Bc4 and Ne2, often followed by 0-0 and f4-f5 with attack. It was generally thought that an early Nf3 was weak in the Exchange Variation because it allowed Black too much pressure on the centre with ...Bg4. Starting in the late 1970s, however, Kasparov and others found more accurate ways to play the Exchange Variation with White, often involving an early Rb1 to remove the rook from the long diagonal and make it hard for Black to develop his queen's bishop. Another relatively recently developed system involves quickly playing Be3, Qd2, and Rc1 or Rd1 to fortify White's centre, get White's rook off the diagonal, and possibly enable an early d5 push by White.

Vladimir Kramnik and Boris Gelfand are the leading practitioners as White and Lubomir Ftacnik has had many fine results with the Black pieces.^[1]

[edit] Lines with 4.Bf4 and the Grünfeld Gambit

For less adventurous players who do not wish to take on the complexities of the Exchange Variation, the move 4.Bf4 is considered a safer continuation for White.^[2] White opts for the initiative on the queenside with a smaller pawn centre. In the main line (D82), play proceeds either with 4...Bg7 5.e3 c5 6.dxc5 Qa5, with White's choice of seventh move, either cxd5, Qb3, Qa4 or Rc1. Despite its reputation, in statistical databases, this variation shows only a slightly higher percentage of White wins and draws, as opposed to the Exchange variation.^[3][4] The variation is not often met in top-flight play today, its usage having declined significantly since its heyday in the 1930s.

In this variation, play may also continue (4. Bf4 Bg7 5.e3) O-O, which is known as the Grünfeld Gambit (ECO code D83). White can accept the gambit by playing 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Nxd5 Qxd5 8.Bxc7, or decline it with 6. Qb3 or 6. Rc1, to which Black responds with 6...c5.

[edit] The Neo-Grünfeld Defence

Systems in which White delays the development of his queen's knight to c3 are known as the Neo-Grünfeld Defence (ECO code D70-D79); typical move orders are 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 d5 or, more commonly, 1. d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3. g3 d5 (the latter known as the Kemeri Variation and shown in the diagram).

[edit] Other variations

Apart from the above, among the more popular continuations are;

• 4. Bg5 (the Taimanov Variation, ECO code D80)
• 4. Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 (the Russian System, ECO code D96)
• 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 (the Quiet System or Slow System, ECO code D94)

[edit] Notes

[edit] Further reading

• Alexey Suetin, The Complete Grünfeld (Batsford, 1991)
• Anatoly Karpov, Beating the Grünfeld (Batsford, 1992)
• Jonathan Rowson, Understanding the Grünfeld (Gambit, 1998)
• Nigel Davies, The Grünfeld Defence (Everyman Chess, 2002)
• Yelena Dembo, Play the Grünfeld (Everyman Chess, 2007)

[edit] External links

• Online Guide to the Grünfeld
• Chessgames: Grünfeld Gambit
• Chessgames: Neo-Grünfeld 3.f3
• Chessgames: Neo-Grünfeld 3.g3