Anti-Grünfeld, Advance Variation

After 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6, White usually plays 3. Nc3 and allows Black to choose between the King's Indian and the Grünfeld. The Advance Variation, 3. d5, is one of the anti-Grünfeld tries. Once the pawn stands on d5, Black can no longer occupy that square with ...d5, so the Grünfeld is ruled out at once. White also gains space. The cost is that the d5 pawn is advanced before e4 and Nc3 can support it, and the long diagonal remains available to Black's bishop. The engine considers the position roughly balanced, and Black has scored somewhat better than White in Lichess games.

Black most often completes the fianchetto with 3...Bg7, which occurs in about three quarters of games. 3...d6 is the main alternative and keeps the position fluid. 3...c6 and the engine's suggestion 3...e6 challenge the d5 pawn directly. The sharpest reply is 3...b5, the Adorjan Gambit, which gives up a wing pawn to attack White's c4 pawn. The line is uncommon at a serious level and is used mainly to avoid Grünfeld theory.