Caissa Codex
D86

Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Larsen Variation

Chess diagram: Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Larsen Variation after 8…Qd7

Type a move and press Enter: e4, Nf3, O-O, or from and to squares like g1f3 (e7e8q to promote). The board is also played with the mouse.

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Statistics from Lichess

712 games: White 45.5% / Draw 8.3% / Black 46.2%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
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107107
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22
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Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.53 White is slightly better

Best play: 9. O-O c5 10. Be3 Nc6 11. Qd2 Qc7 12. Rac1 Qa5 13. Rfd1 cxd4

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Larsen Variation (ECO D86, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Classical Variation, reached after 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 (8 moves).

In 712 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.5%, Black 46.2% and 8.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 9. O-O, in 78% of those games.

It continues into one named variation.

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How to play against the Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Larsen Variation

9. Be3 scores best for White: 56.1%, with White winning 52.3% and Black 40.2% of 107 games. The most played answer, 9. O-O, scores lowest: 48.1% in 553 games. Stockfish's first choice is 9. O-O.

Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings

Variations (1)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 7…O-O 8. Ne2 Qd7, the position after Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Classical Variation also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Larsen Variation (D86)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/grunfeld-defense-exchange-variation-larsen-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/grunfeld-defense-exchange-variation-larsen-variation