Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5
What Is The Exchange Variation?
The Exchange Variation is White's most principled answer to the Grünfeld: after 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3, White erects the broad pawn center that Black's whole opening exists to provoke. Black hammers it with Bg7, c5, Nc6 and pressure down the d file, betting that the center becomes a target, not a weapon. Every Exchange game turns on one question: does White's center advance and crush, or get fixed and fall?
White chooses between the Classical setup with Bc4 and Ne2 and the Modern 7.Nf3 with Rb1, gaining time on the queenside. As Black, trade off White's dark-squared defenders and win the d4 pawn; as White, push d5 or attack the king before the pressure tells. Passive play with either color loses the thread immediately.
How Does Play Continue From Here?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 78% | 275 | |
| Nf3 | 8% | 28 | |
| Nxd5 | 4% | 13 | |
| Bd2 | 4% | 13 |
The Named Lines Of The Exchange Variation
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| Nadanian Attack | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Na4 |
| Modern Exchange Variation | 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.Rb1 |
| Classical Variation | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 |
| Modern Exchange Variation, Kramnik's Line | 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.h3 |
| Simagin's Lesser Variation | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Ne2 b6 |
| Spassky Variation | 1.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 |
| Larsen Variation | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Ne2 Qd7 9.O-O b6 |
| Simagin's Improved Variation | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Ne2 Nc6 |
| Modern Exchange Variation, Pawn Grab Line | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Rb1 O-O 9.Be2 Nc6 10.d5 Bxc3+ |
| Seville Variation | 1.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.Bxf7+ |
| Sokolsky Variation | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 O-O 9.O-O Nc6 10.Be3 Bg4 11.f3 Na5 12.Bd3 cxd4 13.cxd4 Be6 14.d5 |