Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Larsen Variation 9. O-O b6
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Statistics from Lichess
453 games: White 42.2% / Draw 9.7% / Black 48.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 232232 | ||
| 3737 | ||
| 3434 | ||
| 3131 | ||
| 2020 | ||
| 1616 | ||
| 1212 | ||
| 1111 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.51 White is slightly better
Best play: 10. Rb1 Ba6 11. Bxa6 Nxa6 12. h4 c5 13. h5 Rfe8 14. Qd3 Qa4
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, Larsen 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 9. O-O b6 (9 moves).
In 453 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 42.2%, Black 48.1% and 9.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 10. Be3, in 51% of those games.
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Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Larsen Variation (D86)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/grunfeld-defense-exchange-variation-larsen-variation-2