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Grünfeld Defence

Black gives White a big pawn centre on purpose, then attacks it with the g7-bishop, ...c5 and the pieces. A dynamic favourite of Kasparov.

Advanced · Indian defences · 17 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Grünfeld Defence (D85). You play Black. Black gives White a big pawn centre on purpose, then attacks it with the g7-bishop, ...c5 and the pieces. A dynamic favourite of Kasparov.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 35% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 60% of 1.4 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.c4

White plays pawn to c4. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 67% of 805k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...g6

Black plays pawn to g6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 34% of 537k games.

Step 6

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.Nc3

White plays knight to c3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 80% of 187k games.

Step 7

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...d5

Black plays pawn to d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. It opens a line for the queen on d8. It challenges the opponent's pawns. It attacks the pawn on c4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 33% of 151k games.

Step 8

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.cxd5

White plays pawn takes d5. It captures the pawn on d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It gains space. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 50% of 50k games.

Step 9

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Nxd5

Black plays knight takes d5. It captures the pawn on d5. It takes a centre square (d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 25k games.

Step 10

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. It attacks the knight on d5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 80% of 25k games.

Step 11

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...Nxc3

Black plays knight takes c3. It captures the knight on c3. It controls the centre (e4, d5). The knight on c3 attacks the queen and the pawn at the same time: a fork! Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 99% of 20k games.

Step 12

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.bxc3

White plays pawn takes c3. It captures the knight on c3. It controls the centre (d4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 20k games.

Step 13

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...Bg7

Black plays bishop to g7. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Fianchetto: the bishop aims along the long diagonal. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 96% of 20k games.

Step 14

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.Bc4

White plays bishop to c4. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 36% of 19k games.

Step 15

♜︎♞︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7...c5

Black plays pawn to c5. It controls the centre (d4). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It challenges the opponent's pawns. It offers a pawn (a gambit) to win time or the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 72% of 7044 games.

Step 16

♜︎♞︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8.Ne2

White plays knight to e2. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4). Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 96% of 5203 games.

Step 17

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the Grünfeld Defence. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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