Grünfeld Defense: Pachman Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
628 games: White 62.4% / Draw 4.0% / Black 33.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 485485 | ||
| 109109 | ||
| 1515 | ||
| 55 | ||
| 33 | ||
| 33 | ||
| 22 | ||
| 22 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.35 White is slightly better
Best play: 8... e6 9. Bxe6 Qe7 10. Bh3 c5 11. O-O b6 12. Rd1 Rb8 13. Nf3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Grünfeld Defense: Pachman Variation (ECO D95, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Grünfeld Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. e3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Bxc4 O-O 7. Nf3 Nbd7 8. Ng5 (8 moves).
In 628 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 62.4%, Black 33.6% and 4.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 8…e6, in 77% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Grünfeld Defense: Pachman Variation
The most played answer, 8…e6, also scores best for Black: 36.9%, with Black winning 35.1% and White 61.2% of 485 games. Of the main answers, 8…Qe8 scores lowest: 34.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 8…e6.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Grünfeld Defense: Pachman Variation (D95)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/grunfeld-defense-pachman-variation