Grünfeld Defense: Smyslov Defense
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
76,461 games: White 47.2% / Draw 7.2% / Black 45.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 54,69255K | ||
| 4,7244,724 | ||
| 4,2514,251 | ||
| 3,7333,733 | ||
| 3,4643,464 | ||
| 1,3691,369 | ||
| 939939 | ||
| 701701 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.32 White is slightly better
Best play: 8. h3 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 e6 10. Rd1 Nbd7 11. Bd2 Re8 12. Bf1 a6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Grünfeld Defense: Smyslov Defense (ECO D94, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Slav Defense, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O Bg4 (7 moves).
In 76,461 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.2%, Black 45.6% and 7.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. h3, in 72% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Grünfeld Defense: Smyslov Defense
The most played answer, 8. h3, also scores best for White: 52.1%, with White winning 48.4% and Black 44.2% of 55K games. Of the main answers, 8. Re1 scores lowest: 47.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 8. h3.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Grünfeld Defense: Smyslov Defense (D94)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/grunfeld-defense-smyslov-defense