- ECO code
- D85
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5
- Family
- Grünfeld Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 1,163
- Average game length
- 42 moves
- Years covered
- 1923–2026
Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation is the opening filed under ECO code D85, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5. It belongs to the Grünfeld Defense family and is known as the Exchange Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,163 games on this line — the 100th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1923 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2010s, with 390 games. An average game here lasts 42 moves.
White wins 28% of those games, 49% end in a draw, and Black wins 23%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 5 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 14 points.
From this position the most popular move is 5.e4, played in 980 games, followed by 5.Bd2 (118) and 5.g3 (38). After 5.e4 White scores 28% and Black 24%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Nakamura,Hi (48 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (191).
2 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Classical Variation; Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Modern Exchange Variation.
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Results in master games
- White 28% (327)
- Draws 49% (563)
- Black 23% (273)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.e4 | 980 | 28/48/24 | — |
| 5.Bd2 | 118 | 29/46/25 | — |
| 5.g3 | 38 | 24/50/26 | — |
| 5.Na4 | 10 | 30/70/0 | — |
| 5.Nf3 | 10 | 40/60/0 | — |
| 5.e3 | 4 | 50/25/25 | — |
| 5.Qa4+ | 2 | 0/50/50 | — |
| 5.Qb3 | 1 | 0/100/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Classical Variation · 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 · 348 games
- Modern Exchange Variation · 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 · 310 games
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
Played most often by
As White
- Nakamura,Hi 48
- Giri,A 47
- Carlsen,M 41
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 191
- Nepomniachtchi,I 122
- Mamedyarov,S 60
Games per decade
- 1920s 1
- 1930s 4
- 1940s 8
- 1950s 24
- 1960s 26
- 1970s 29
- 1980s 46
- 1990s 127
- 2000s 178
- 2010s 390
- 2020s 330
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Praggnanandhaa,R | Vachier Lagrave,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super ROM Classic |
| Bluebaum,M | Nepomniachtchi,I | 0-1 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 1st Jan 2026 |
| Makhnev,Denis | Grischuk,A | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Giri,A | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super Rapid Croatia |
| Gholami Orimi,Mahdi | Grischuk,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 16th Jun 2026 |
| Carlsen,M | Ivanchuk,V | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code D85, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5. It belongs to the Grünfeld Defense family.
Is the Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation good for White or for Black?
In 1,163 master games on this line White wins 28%, 49% are drawn and Black wins 23%. 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?
5.e4 — played in 980 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation?
On the White side Nakamura,Hi (48), Giri,A (47), Carlsen,M (41); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (191), Nepomniachtchi,I (122), Mamedyarov,S (60).
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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