Caissa Codex
D86

Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Simagin's Lesser Variation

Chess diagram: Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Simagin's Lesser Variation after 8…b6

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

4,135 games: White 44.5% / Draw 7.5% / Black 48.0%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
3,0513,051
627627
248248
7171
4040
1616
1515
1414

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026

Engine evaluation

+1.14 White is better

Best play: 9. h4 Nc6 10. e5 Bf5 11. h5 Na5 12. Bd3 Qd7 13. Bxf5 Qxf5

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

Overview

Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Simagin's Lesser 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 b6 (8 moves).

In 4,135 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.5%, Black 48.0% and 7.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 9. O-O, in 74% of those games.

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How to play against the Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Simagin's Lesser Variation

9. h4 scores best for White: 61.7%, with White winning 58.5% and Black 35.1% of 248 games. The most played answer, 9. O-O, scores lowest: 47.1% in 3,051 games. Stockfish's first choice is also 9. h4.

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

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 7…O-O 8. Ne2 b6, the position after Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Classical Variation also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Simagin's Lesser Variation (D86)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/grunfeld-defense-exchange-variation-simagins-lesser-variation

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