What Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Spassky Variation puts on the board
Material is level, with white to move.
White has central pawns on d4 and e4.
White can still castle either side; Black has castled kingside.
The d-file is half-open for Black, giving that side a natural pressure lane.
What White is trying to build
Use the central pawn mass, but be ready to spend tempi defending it.
Develop pieces to support d4 and exploit the space advantage.
How Black challenges it
Attack d4 with the g7 bishop, …c5 and active piece pressure.
Prefer activity against the centre over passive occupation of it.
The tactical pattern to recognise
The d4 pawn is repeatedly attacked along the long diagonal.
A timely …c5 or …e5 can dissolve White’s centre.
What to check before committing
Advancing the centre beyond the pieces that support it.
Trading active pieces and leaving White an uncontested centre.
Choose the next book move
Preview a move to see the resulting position and the idea behind it. Select it to continue on the same board.
Reference links and alternate move orders
Move orders
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 O-O1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 O-O 10.O-O cxd4 11.cxd41.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 O-O 10.O-O Bg4 11.f3 Na5 12.Bd3 cxd4 13.cxd4 Be6
Related variations
- Grünfeld Defense: Brinckmann Attack, Grünfeld Gambit
- Grünfeld Defense: Brinckmann Attack, Grünfeld Gambit Accepted
- Grünfeld Defense: Brinckmann Attack, Reshevsky Gambit
- Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Classical Variation
- Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Larsen Variation
- Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Modern Exchange Variation
- Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Nadanian Attack
- Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Seville Variation
- Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Simagin's Improved Variation
- Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Simagin's Lesser Variation
- Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Sokolsky Variation
- Grünfeld Defense: Lutikov Variation, Murrey Attack