- ECO code
- D90
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7
- Family
- Grünfeld Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 678
- Average game length
- 42 moves
- Years covered
- 1922–2026
Grünfeld Defense: Three Knights Variation is the opening filed under ECO code D90, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7. It belongs to the Grünfeld Defense family and is known as the Three Knights Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 678 games on this line — the 167th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1922 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2010s, with 214 games. An average game here lasts 42 moves.
White wins 29% of those games, 46% end in a draw, and Black wins 25%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 3 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 11 points.
From this position the most popular move is 5.Qb3, played in 229 games, followed by 5.cxd5 (115) and 5.Bg5 (104). After 5.Qb3 White scores 31% and Black 19%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Mamedyarov,S (45 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (80).
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Results in master games
- White 29% (197)
- Draws 46% (310)
- Black 25% (171)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.Qb3 | 229 | 31/50/19 | — |
| 5.cxd5 | 115 | 26/47/27 | — |
| 5.Bg5 | 104 | 29/41/30 | — |
| 5.e3 | 81 | 28/49/23 | — |
| 5.Bf4 | 65 | 23/52/25 | — |
| 5.h4 | 58 | 33/34/33 | — |
| 5.Qa4+ | 20 | 35/25/40 | — |
| 5.h3 | 3 | 67/0/33 | — |
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: Three Knights Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 · 678 games
Played most often by
As White
- Mamedyarov,S 45
- Aronian,L 19
- Carlsen,M 17
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 80
- Nepomniachtchi,I 50
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 44
Games per decade
- 1920s 1
- 1930s 17
- 1940s 28
- 1950s 13
- 1960s 37
- 1970s 32
- 1980s 42
- 1990s 59
- 2000s 93
- 2010s 214
- 2020s 142
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papasimakopoulos,Alexandros | Grischuk,A | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 14th Apr 2026 |
| Ivanchuk,V | Van Wely,L | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | TCh-FRA Top 16 GpA 2026 |
| To,N | Grischuk,A | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 17th Feb 2026 |
| Papasimakopoulos,Alexandros | Grischuk,A | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 27th Jan 2026 |
| Barria Zuniga,D | Grischuk,A | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 6th Jan 2026 |
| Indjic,A | Grischuk,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 16th Jun 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Grünfeld Defense: Three Knights Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code D90, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7. It belongs to the Grünfeld Defense family.
Is the Grünfeld Defense: Three Knights Variation good for White or for Black?
In 678 master games on this line White wins 29%, 46% are drawn and Black wins 25%. 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: Three Knights Variation?
5.Qb3 — played in 229 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Grünfeld Defense: Three Knights Variation?
On the White side Mamedyarov,S (45), Aronian,L (19), Carlsen,M (17); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (80), Nepomniachtchi,I (50), Kortschnoj, Viktor (44).
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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