Grünfeld Defense
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5
4. Bf4+0.26
The position is roughly equal. Stockfish 18, depth 18.
Analyze this positionIn the Grünfeld Defense (D80), reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5, Stockfish 18 recommends 4. Bf4 for White. The position is roughly equal (+0.26).
Top engine moves
- +0.264. Bf4 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Rc1 c5 7. dxc5 Be6 8. Nf3 Qa5
- +0.244. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 Be6 7. Qa4+ Bd7 8. Qa3 Bc6
- +0.214. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 c5 7. Nf3 Bg7 8. Bb5+ Bd7
All Grünfeld Defense variations (50)
- Gibbon GambitD801. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. g4
- Lundin VariationD801. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Ne4 5. Nxe4 dxe4 6. Qd2 c5
- Lutikov VariationD801. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. f3
- Stockholm VariationD801. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5
- Zaitsev GambitD801. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. h4
- Brinckmann AttackD821. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bf4
- Exchange VariationD851. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5
- Modern Exchange VariationD851. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3
- Nadanian AttackD851. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Na4
- Classical VariationD861. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4
- Larsen VariationD861. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 O-O 8. Ne2 Qd7
- Simagin's Improved VariationD861. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 O-O 8. Ne2 Nc6
- Simagin's Lesser VariationD861. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 O-O 8. Ne2 b6
- Seville VariationD871. 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+
- Spassky VariationD871. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 O-O
- Sokolsky VariationD891. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 O-O 9. O-O Nc6 10. Be3 Bg4 11. f3 Na5 12. Bd3 cxd4 13. cxd4 Be6 14. d5
- Flohr VariationD901. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qa4+
- Three Knights VariationD901. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3
- Petrosian SystemD911. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bg5
- Hungarian AttackD921. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bf4
- Hungarian VariationD931. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3
- Burille VariationD941. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3
- Paris VariationD941. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Bd3
- Vienna VariationD951. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Qb3
- Flohr DefenseD941. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O Bf5
- Makogonov VariationD941. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. b4
- Opocensky VariationD941. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Bd2
- Smyslov DefenseD941. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O Bg4
- Botvinnik VariationD951. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Qb3 e6
- Pachman VariationD951. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. e3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Bxc4 O-O 7. Nf3 Nbd7 8. Ng5
- Russian VariationD961. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3
- Accelerated VariationD811. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Qb3
- Byrne VariationD971. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 Nc6
- Hungarian VariationD971. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 a6
- Levenfish VariationD971. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 b6
- Prins VariationD971. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 Na6
- Szabo VariationD971. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 c6
- Keres VariationD981. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 Bg4 8. Be3 Nfd7 9. Be2 Nb6 10. Qd3 Nc6 11. O-O-O
- Smyslov VariationD981. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 Bg4
- Yugoslav VariationD991. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 Bg4 8. Be3 Nfd7 9. Qb3 c5
- Counterthrust VariationE601. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 d5
Frequently asked questions
What is the best move in the Grünfeld Defense?
After 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 4. Bf4 for White, continuing Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Rc1 c5 7. dxc5 Be6 8. Nf3 Qa5. The position is roughly equal (+0.26). The next best moves are 4. Nf3 (+0.24) and 4. cxd5 (+0.21).
Is the Grünfeld Defense a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at +0.26: the position is roughly equal. Evaluations this early in the game are small, so practical results depend far more on knowing the plans and typical structures than on the engine's number.
What is the ECO code of the Grünfeld Defense?
D80. ECO codes classify chess openings from A00 to E99; D is the volume for closed and semi-closed games.
Opening names from the Lichess opening book (CC0). Pieces by Colin M.L. Burnett (GPLv2+).