Exchange Variation

The Exchange Variation, 4. cxd5 Nxd5, is the most frequent answer to the Grünfeld. White trades off the d5-pawn and gains time against the recapturing knight. The usual follow-up, 5. e4, chases the knight, and 5...Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 hands White the c3-d4-e4 center that Black then sets out to attack. Among the rarer fifth moves, 5. Bd2 avoids the doubled c-pawns and 5. Na4, the Nadanian Attack, eyes c5.

The main line divides at White's seventh move. The Classical Variation, 7. Bc4 with Ne2, was long held to be correct, since an early knight to f3 was thought to invite ...Bg4 against d4. Its branches include the Spassky Variation, 7...c5 8. Ne2 O-O, and the Seville Variation, 7...c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 O-O 10. O-O Bg4 11. f3 Na5 12. Bxf7+. The Seville is named for Karpov's use of it against Kasparov in their 1987 title match. Theory had long distrusted that pawn grab because of the dark squares it weakens. The Modern Exchange Variation, 7. Nf3, became established from the late 1970s. In 2000, Kramnik beat Kasparov in game 2 of their match with a new idea in the 5. e4 main line, and Kasparov then gave up the Grünfeld. The engine rates the position as roughly balanced, and Black scores marginally better on Lichess.