Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation, Yugoslav Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
7 games: White 42.9% / Draw 14.3% / Black 42.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | ||
| 11 | ||
| 11 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.52 White is slightly better
Best play: 10. d5 Na6 11. Be2 Rc8 12. O-O c4 13. Qb5 Bxf3 14. gxf3 Nc7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation, Yugoslav Variation (ECO D99, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation, Smyslov Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 Bg4 8. Be3 Nfd7 9. Qb3 c5 (9 moves).
In 7 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 42.9%, Black 42.9% and 14.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 10. d5, in 71% of those games. That is too few games for the percentages to mean much.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Grünfeld Defense: Russian Variation, Yugoslav Variation (D99)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/grunfeld-defense-russian-variation-yugoslav-variation