- ECO code
- D85
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3
- Family
- Grünfeld Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 310
- Average game length
- 41 moves
- Years covered
- 1979–2026
Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Modern Exchange Variation is the opening filed under ECO code D85, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3. It belongs to the Grünfeld Defense family and is known as the Exchange Variation, Modern Exchange Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 310 games on this line — the 298th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1979 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 128 games. An average game here lasts 41 moves.
White wins 24% of those games, 52% end in a draw, and Black wins 24%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 4 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 17 points.
From this position the most popular move is 7...c5, played in 294 games, followed by 7...O-O (12) and 7...Bg4 (3). After 7...c5 White scores 23% and Black 23%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Grischuk,A (26 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (58).
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Results in master games
- White 24% (73)
- Draws 52% (163)
- Black 24% (74)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7...c5 | 294 | 23/54/23 | — |
| 7...O-O | 12 | 42/33/25 | — |
| 7...Bg4 | 3 | 0/0/100 | — |
| 7...b6 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
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
- Grischuk,A 26
- So,W 16
- Giri,A 15
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 58
- Nepomniachtchi,I 45
- Mamedyarov,S 17
Games per decade
- 1970s 2
- 1980s 11
- 1990s 23
- 2000s 37
- 2010s 109
- 2020s 128
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluebaum,M | Nepomniachtchi,I | 0-1 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 1st Jan 2026 |
| Giri,A | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super Rapid Croatia |
| Sowinski,Pawel | Ivanchuk,V | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 26th ch-EUR Indiv 2026 |
| Bluebaum,M | Vachier Lagrave,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Bundesliga 2025-26 |
| Safin,Timur | Grischuk,A | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 13th Jan 2026 |
| Moksh,Amit Doshi | Ivanchuk,V | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 10th Semana Santa Open |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Modern Exchange Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code D85, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3. It belongs to the Grünfeld Defense family.
Is the Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Modern Exchange Variation good for White or for Black?
In 310 master games on this line White wins 24%, 52% are drawn and Black wins 24%. 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, Modern Exchange Variation?
7...c5 — played in 294 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Modern Exchange Variation?
On the White side Grischuk,A (26), So,W (16), Giri,A (15); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (58), Nepomniachtchi,I (45), Mamedyarov,S (17).
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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