Grünfeld Defense
Move Sequence
d4— Queen's pawn.♞f6— Indian development.c4— c4 flank setup.g6— Prepares fianchetto — could become King's Indian or Grünfeld.♞c3— Development.d5— Grünfeld! Black challenges the center at once — the hypermodern idea par excellence.
The Grünfeld Defence begins with 1.d4 ♞f6 2.c4 g6 3.♞c3 d5 — after the fianchetto setup Black makes the central strike d7-d5 and creates a hypermodern structure in which White gets a huge centre. The opening was invented by Austrian grandmaster Ernst Grünfeld and played at the highest level for the first time in 1922. Later it was developed into a major weapon by Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov.
The main line is 4.cxd5 ♞xd5 5.e4 ♞xc3 6.bxc3 ♝g7 7.♞c2 c5 8.♞e3 O-O.
Strategy
Black gives White a powerful centre with pawns on e4 and d4 — and immediately attacks it with every means available. The fianchettoed bishop on g7 targets d4, White's most important central pawn. Black uses c7-c5 and cxd4 as the main levers. The strategic theme is: White has a strong centre that is under permanent attack — whoever handles it better wins. The position is theoretically very complex.
Typical Continuation
After the main line (5.e4 ♞xc3 6.bxc3 ♝g7) White typically plays 7.♞c2 (or 7.♝b3) and plans e4-e5 with an attack. Black responds with c7-c5 and O-O to maintain pressure on d4. In the famous Russian System (7.♝c4) theoretically demanding variations follow. For beginners the Grünfeld is better suited to more advanced players due to its complexity, but offers fascinating strategic lessons.
Suitable for: Complex / aggressive — for players willing to give White the centre and then actively fight to destroy it.