- ECO code
- D86
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4
- Family
- Grünfeld Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 348
- Average game length
- 43 moves
- Years covered
- 1953–2026
Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Classical Variation is the opening filed under ECO code D86, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4. It belongs to the Grünfeld Defense family and is known as the Exchange Variation, Classical Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 348 games on this line — the 276th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1953 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 93 games. An average game here lasts 43 moves.
White wins 27% of those games, 47% end in a draw, and Black wins 26%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%). Draws are more common here than usual, by 12 points.
From this position the most popular move is 7...c5, played in 277 games, followed by 7...O-O (64) and 7...b6 (3). After 7...c5 White scores 25% and Black 26%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Spassky, Boris V (20 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (46).
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Results in master games
- White 27% (95)
- Draws 47% (164)
- Black 26% (89)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7...c5 | 277 | 25/49/26 | — |
| 7...O-O | 64 | 39/41/20 | — |
| 7...b6 | 3 | 34/33/33 | — |
| 7...Nc6 | 3 | 0/0/100 | — |
| 7...a6 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
How the position is reached
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 · 45,810 games
- Indian Defense · 1.d4 Nf6 · 29,631 games
- Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 · 22,243 games
- Indian Defense: West Indian Defense · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 · 6,337 games
- King's Indian Defense · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 · 4,545 games
- Grünfeld Defense · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 · 2,262 games
- Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 · 1,163 games
Played most often by
As White
- Spassky, Boris V 20
- Giri,A 15
- Caruana,F 13
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 46
- Nepomniachtchi,I 29
- Mamedyarov,S 14
Games per decade
- 1950s 15
- 1960s 20
- 1970s 20
- 1980s 24
- 1990s 37
- 2000s 67
- 2010s 72
- 2020s 93
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gholami Orimi,Mahdi | Grischuk,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 16th Jun 2026 |
| Li Shilong | Grischuk,A | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 27th Jan 2026 |
| Yu Yangyi | Vachier Lagrave,M | 0-1 | 2025 | World Rapid 2025 |
| Korobov,A | Vachier Lagrave,M | 1-0 | 2025 | Titled Tue 25th Nov 2025 |
| Caruana,F | Garcia,Jan | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | Titled Tue 7th Jan Early |
| Wagner,De | Nepomniachtchi,I | 0-1 | 2025 | Titled Tue 11th Mar Late |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Classical Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code D86, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4. It belongs to the Grünfeld Defense family.
Is the Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Classical Variation good for White or for Black?
In 348 master games on this line White wins 27%, 47% are drawn and Black wins 26%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Classical Variation?
7...c5 — played in 277 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Classical Variation?
On the White side Spassky, Boris V (20), Giri,A (15), Caruana,F (13); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (46), Nepomniachtchi,I (29), Mamedyarov,S (14).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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