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Grunfeld, Russian (D97)
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Nf3 Bg7 5 Qb3 dxc4 6 Qxc4 O-O
7 e4

Number of games in database: 1860
Years covered: 1935 to 2023
Overall record:
   White wins 35.8%
   Black wins 23.4%
   Draws 40.8%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Ivan Farago  45 games
Gennadi Sosonko  30 games
Zdenko Kozul  29 games
Peter Svidler  33 games
Garry Kasparov  17 games
Peter Leko  16 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Karpov vs Kasparov, 1986
Anand vs Svidler, 1999
Smyslov vs T Florian, 1949
Beliavsky vs Kasparov, 1988
Polugaevsky vs Korchnoi, 1960
Onischuk vs Dominguez Perez, 2008
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 page 1 of 75; games 1-25 of 1,860  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Euwe vs Alekhine 1-0361935Alekhine - Euwe World Championship MatchD97 Grunfeld, Russian
2. Gilg vs Pelikan  1-0711937PragueD97 Grunfeld, Russian
3. S Landau vs Rellstab 1-0341937KemeriD97 Grunfeld, Russian
4. Szabo vs Barcza 1-0441939Makovetz memD97 Grunfeld, Russian
5. M Feigin vs Szabo 1-0231939KemeriD97 Grunfeld, Russian
6. J Nielsen vs C Poulsen  0-1431939DEN-chD97 Grunfeld, Russian
7. M Luckis vs J Sierra  1-0201939Buenos Aires Olympiad qual-3D97 Grunfeld, Russian
8. V Mikenas vs J Enevoldsen  1-0801939Buenos Aires Olympiad Final-AD97 Grunfeld, Russian
9. M Luckis vs A Christensen  1-0601939Buenos Aires Olympiad Final-AD97 Grunfeld, Russian
10. T Regedzinski vs L Prins  ½-½461939Buenos Aires Olympiad Final-AD97 Grunfeld, Russian
11. R Grau vs J Enevoldsen  ½-½301939Buenos Aires Olympiad Final-AD97 Grunfeld, Russian
12. C Guimard vs A Christensen  1-0401939Buenos Aires Olympiad Final-AD97 Grunfeld, Russian
13. J Bolbochan vs R Flores Alvarez  1-0511939Buenos Aires Olympiad Final-AD97 Grunfeld, Russian
14. M Luckis vs L Prins  1-0811939Buenos Aires Olympiad Final-AD97 Grunfeld, Russian
15. Tartakower vs Znosko-Borovsky 1-0261940ParisD97 Grunfeld, Russian
16. Kmoch vs L Prins 1-0171940AmsterdamD97 Grunfeld, Russian
17. P Dubinin vs Botvinnik  ½-½411940USSR ChampionshipD97 Grunfeld, Russian
18. V Mikenas vs E Gerstenfeld  0-1371940USSR ChampionshipD97 Grunfeld, Russian
19. K Junge vs H Heinicke 1-0361941Hamburg Nordmark-ConD97 Grunfeld, Russian
20. M Luckis vs J Traian Iliesco  1-0311942Mar del PlataD97 Grunfeld, Russian
21. Stahlberg vs Najdorf  ½-½401943Mar del PlataD97 Grunfeld, Russian
22. C Guimard vs H Rossetto  ½-½211944Mar del PlataD97 Grunfeld, Russian
23. Shainswit vs E S Jackson  ½-½281944Ventnor CityD97 Grunfeld, Russian
24. Najdorf vs J Traian Iliesco  1-0331945Mar del PlataD97 Grunfeld, Russian
25. Lilienthal vs M Kamyshov 1-0381946Moscow ChampionshipD97 Grunfeld, Russian
 page 1 of 75; games 1-25 of 1,860  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
Jul-20-04  Helloween: This is the system that I use against the Grünfeld. Black doesn't get the kind of play he was looking for in the exchange variation, and the development of the White pieces pleases me. Most players unfamiliar with this position will play something silly like 7...Nbd7?!
Jul-20-04  tomh72000: Yes, although black can get some pretty interesting counterplay with 7...c6!?, 7...a6 or Kasparov's favourite 7...Na6. Smyslov's idea of ...Bg4, ...Nfd7, ...Nc6 is also very a very interesting plan.
Jul-20-04  Helloween: Interesting is the Queen sac line 7...Nbd7?! 8.e5 Nb6 9.exf6! Nxc4 10.fxg7 Kxg7 11.Bxc4. I think Smyslov's 7...Bg4/Nfd7 plan is the best way for Black to continue from a strategic standpoint. 7...Na6/c7-c5 with the idea of using the c-file is also good.
Jul-20-04  tomh72000: The queen sac is very interesting, I agree, but after 11...Bg4 or even 11...Bf5 black looks a little better to me.
Jul-20-04  Helloween: <tomh72000>I strongly disagree. The position after 11.Bxc4 has been reached about 7 times, with White winning 5 times and drawing 2! It seems as though White has all the play and can play with a draw in hand. Here is a recent example: [Event "AUT-chT2M 0001"]
[Site "Austria"]
[Date "2000.??.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Hager,Franz"]
[Black "Schoeppl,Engelbert"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Eco "D97"]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 Nbd7 8.e5 Nb6 9.exf6 Nxc4 10.fxg7 Kxg7 11.Bxc4 Bg4 12.Be3 Bxf3 13.gxf3 c6 14.0-0-0 b5 15.Bb3 Qc7 16.h4 h5 17.Kb1 a5 18.f4 e6 19.Rc1 a4 20.Bd1 Qe7 21.Ne4 Rac8 22.Bf3 Rfd8 23.Rhg1 a3 24.b3 Kf8 25.Ng5 Qb4 26.Rgd1 c5 27.dxc5 Rxd1 28.Rxd1 Qc3 29.Bd4 Qb4 30.c6 Rd8 31.c7 1-0

I have played a similar Queen sac in this type of position online before, only in the 4.Qb3 variation of the Grünfeld. The play was almost identical and the Black tried to sac an exchange to destroy the power of my minor pieces, only to end up being overwhelmed and losing in about 40 moves.

Jul-21-04  tomh72000: Fair enough, +5 =2 -0 is a pretty impressive record. I have looked at some of the games, and white does indeed seem to have most of the play. It is probably a draw with best play though.

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