Caissa Codex
D89

Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Sokolsky Variation

Chess diagram: Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Sokolsky Variation after 14. d5

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Statistics from Lichess

19,762 games: White 44.9% / Draw 7.0% / Black 48.1%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
18,40018K
1,2641,264
4040
1919
1717
99
55
33

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.02 The position is about equal

Best play: 14... Bxa1 15. Qxa1 f6 16. Qb1 Bf7 17. Nd4 a6 18. Qb4 b5 19. Rd1

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

Overview

Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Sokolsky Variation (ECO D89, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Spassky Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 O-O 9. O-O Nc6 10. Be3 Bg4 11. f3 Na5 12. Bd3 cxd4 13. cxd4 Be6 14. d5 (14 moves).

In 19,762 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.9%, Black 48.1% and 7.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 14…Bxa1, in 93% of those games.

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

The most played answer, 14…Bxa1, also scores best for Black: 52.4%, with Black winning 48.9% and White 44.1% of 18K games. Of the main answers, 14…Bd7 scores lowest: 42.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 14…Bxa1.

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

Transpositions

This position is also reached from these lines, by another move order:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Sokolsky Variation (D89)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/grunfeld-defense-exchange-variation-sokolsky-variation

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