Grünfeld Defense

The premier attacking weapon of Garry Kasparov and Peter Svidler to demolish 1.d4 with hypermodern pressure.

The quintessence of the hypermodern school: Black deliberately allows White to build a broad pawn center with 3...d5 and ...Nxc3, only to bombard the c3-d4 chain from afar with ...Bg7, ...c5, ...Nc6, and ...Bg4.

Chapter 1: Main Exchange Variation (7.Bc4 and 7.Nf3 / 8.Rb1)

The theoretical core of the Grünfeld: White's massive c3-d4 center versus Black's piece pressure, Spassky's 8.Rb1, and the Seville Variation.

  1. 1. Modern Exchange Variation with 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 (Frontal Attack) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3…
  2. 2. Spassky Variation with 8.Rb1 O-O 9.Nf3 (The a2 Pawn Sacrifice) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3…
  3. 3. Modern System 7.Nf3 c5 8.Be3 Qa5 (Pinning on c3) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3…
  4. 4. Seville Variation 1987 (Karpov-Kasparov 8.Be3 O-O 9.Rc1) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3…
  5. 5. Central Push with d5 and Expansion (The Exchange Sacrifice) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3…
  6. 6. Double Attack Trap on c5 and b7 (Early Simplification) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3…
  7. 7. Early d4 Exchange Variation (Simplification and Pressure) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3…
  8. 8. Unusual 7.Bb5+ Check and Bd7 Interposition (Immediate Equality) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3…

Chapter 2: Russian System 5.Qb3, 4.Bf4 & Lines with g3

Positional and aggressive setups avoiding the Exchange: queen pressure with 5.Qb3, the solid 4.Bf4, the solid g3 fianchetto, and the aggressive 3.f3.

  1. 9. Classical Russian System (4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4…
  2. 10. 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 Variation (Solid and Poisonous) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 O-O…
  3. 11. 4.Bg5 Ne4! Variation (Immediate Counter-Strike) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Ne4 5.Bh4 Nxc3…
  4. 12. Fianchetto Variation 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 d5 5.cxd5 (Mirrored Solidness) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5…
  5. 13. Taimanov Gambit (4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bg5 Ne4 6.cxd5) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bg5 Ne4…
  6. 14. Aggressive 3.f3 Line with Quick e4 (The ...a6 and ...b5 Push) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nb6…
  7. 15. Queen Collapse Trap on c4 (Breakthrough with ...b5 and ...b4) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4…
  8. 16. Hungarian Variation with 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 O-O 7.e4 a6 (Double Fianchetto) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4…