- ECO code
- D80
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5
- Family
- Grünfeld Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 2,262
- Average game length
- 42 moves
- Years covered
- 1922–2026
Grünfeld Defense is the opening filed under ECO code D80, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5. It belongs to the Grünfeld Defense family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 2,262 games on this line — the 54th 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 768 games. An average game here lasts 42 moves.
White wins 29% of those games, 47% 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 12 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4.cxd5, played in 1,163 games, followed by 4.Nf3 (678) and 4.Bf4 (162). After 4.cxd5 White scores 28% and Black 23%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Mamedyarov,S (91 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (328).
5 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation; Grünfeld Defense: Three Knights Variation; Grünfeld Defense: Three Knights Variation.
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Results in master games
- White 29% (645)
- Draws 47% (1,063)
- Black 24% (554)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.cxd5 | 1,163 | 28/49/23 | — |
| 4.Nf3 | 678 | 29/46/25 | Grünfeld Defense: Three Knights Variation |
| 4.Bf4 | 162 | 27/45/28 | — |
| 4.Bg5 | 149 | 29/45/26 | — |
| 4.e3 | 52 | 17/46/37 | — |
| 4.Qb3 | 40 | 33/52/15 | — |
| 4.Qa4+ | 7 | 72/14/14 | — |
| 4.h4 | 5 | 100/0/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Exchange Variation · 4.cxd5 Nxd5 · 1,163 games
- Three Knights Variation · 4.Nf3 · 678 games
- Three Knights Variation · 4.Nf3 Bg7 · 678 games
- Exchange Variation, Classical Variation · 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 · 348 games
- Exchange Variation, Modern Exchange Variation · 4.cxd5 Nxd5 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
Played most often by
As White
- Mamedyarov,S 91
- Carlsen,M 63
- Nakamura,Hi 62
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 328
- Nepomniachtchi,I 212
- Mamedyarov,S 99
Games per decade
- 1920s 5
- 1930s 43
- 1940s 42
- 1950s 47
- 1960s 78
- 1970s 69
- 1980s 108
- 1990s 205
- 2000s 360
- 2010s 768
- 2020s 537
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Praggnanandhaa,R | Vachier Lagrave,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super ROM Classic |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Grischuk,A | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Final |
| 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 |
| Muradli,Mahammad | Grischuk,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn1 |
| Bluebaum,M | Nepomniachtchi,I | 0-1 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 1st Jan 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Grünfeld Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code D80, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5. It belongs to the Grünfeld Defense family.
Is the Grünfeld Defense good for White or for Black?
In 2,262 master games on this line White wins 29%, 47% 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?
4.cxd5 — played in 1,163 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Grünfeld Defense?
On the White side Mamedyarov,S (91), Carlsen,M (63), Nakamura,Hi (62); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (328), Nepomniachtchi,I (212), Mamedyarov,S (99).
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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