A dynamic hypermodern defence: Black plays ...d5 to challenge the centre, often lets White build a big pawn centre with e4, and then attacks it with the g7 bishop, ...c5 and ...Nc6. The opening is rich in concrete tactics against d4 and on the long diagonal. This is a advanced opening course for Black (ECO D70-D99) with 6 variations and 3 traps, written for players rated around 2050. Each move is explained and then drilled on a board; it is free.
Key ideas of Grünfeld Defence
The g7 bishop is the main weapon: together with ...c5 and ...Nc6 it hammers the d4 pawn.
In the Exchange Variation let White have c3, d4 and e4, then attack d4 at once with ...c5, ...Nc6, ...Bg4 and ...Qa5.
Trading on c3 gives White a big centre but also a weak c3 pawn and a loose a2 pawn; ...Qa5 often hits both.
Against Qb3 or Bf4 systems, play ...dxc4 or ...c5 and develop quickly; the white queen becomes a target for ...Be6, ...b5 or ...Nb6.
Watch the long diagonal tactics: if the c3 pawn or the d4 pawn loses a defender, ...Bxc3 or ...Bxd4 often wins material.
Do not grab material carelessly on d4 when White has Bc4: Bxf7+ followed by Qxd4 is a classic trick.
Variations you learn
Exchange Variation: Classical 7.Bc4 – 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 …. White builds the c3-d4-e4 centre and develops with Bc4, Ne2 and Be3. Black attacks d4 with ...c5, ...Nc6 and ...Bg4, drives the c4 bishop away with ...Na5 and fights for d5.
Exchange Variation: Modern 7.Nf3 and 8.Rb1 – 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 …. White develops with Nf3 and Rb1, pressing on b7. Black hits d4, checks on a5 and grabs the a2 pawn, then develops quickly with ...Bg4 while White uses the extra space.
Russian System: Hungarian 7...a6 – 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 …. White grabs c4 with the queen and builds the centre with e4. Black plays ...a6 and ...b5 to gain time against the queen, then ...c5 and ...Bb7 to attack the centre from the side.
Russian System: Smyslov 7...Bg4 – 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 …. In the Russian System Black pins the f3 knight with ...Bg4, retreats the f6 knight to b6 to hit the queen, and then trades on f3 to win control of e5 and the light squares.
4.Bf4 with ...c5 – 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bf4 Bg7 5. e3 c5 …. White develops the bishop to f4 and plays e3, hoping for a solid edge. Black hits back with ...c5 and ...Qa5, regains the pawn on c5 and develops with easy play.
Fianchetto Variation with ...c6 and ...d5 – 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 c6 5. Bg2 d5 …. White fianchettoes with g3 and Bg2. Black plays the solid ...c6 and ...d5. After the exchange on d5 White tries Ne5 and f4, Black stays solid with ...e6, ...Nfd7 and ...Nc6, then challenges the e5 knight.
Traps
Exchange: the ...Bxc3 pin – With the white queen on d2 and Black's queen on a5, the c3 pawn is held only by the queen. If White pushes the d-pawn, the long diagonal opens and ...Bxc3 pins the queen to the king.
Hungarian: the ...Nxc5 fork and the open d-file – In the Hungarian line the d-file is open between the two queens. If White puts the bishop on d3, ...Nxc5 hits queen and bishop, and after ...Nxd3+ the queen cannot recapture because of ...Qxd3.
Exchange: the ...Bxd4 Bxf7+ trap – A watch-out trap: in the 7.Bc4 Exchange, grabbing the d4 pawn with ...Bxd4 looks like it wins material, but after the trades on d4 White plays Bxf7+ and takes the black queen with Qxd4.
The line trainer
The line trainer for Grünfeld Defence has 50 lines that grow out of 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6, learned a few new ones a day with spaced-repetition review.
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