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Grünfeld Defense

Three Knights Variation, Burille Variation, Reversed Tarrasch

A56positionaloffbeat

  1. 1.d4Nf6
  2. 2.c4c5
  3. 3.e3g6
  4. 4.Nc3Bg7
  5. 5.Nf3O-O
  6. 6.Be2cxd4
  7. 7.exd4d5
  8. 8.O-ONc6
1,069 games43%50%

Grünfeld offshoot reached via 2...c5, giving White a Tarrasch Defense pawn structure with colors reversed and a balanced game of central tension.

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About the Reversed Tarrasch

Reached through a ...c5 move order rather than the usual 3...d5, this line of the Burille Variation gives White the structure of the Tarrasch Defense with colors reversed. White has pawns on c4 and d4 against Black's d5, and the c- and e-files are half-open. The most common choice, 9. cxd5, heads for an isolated queen's pawn position. The alternatives are 9. h3 and 9. c5, which fixes a queenside majority. The engine rates the position as balanced, and Black scores better in Lichess games.

Popular continuations