Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Classical Variation, Modern Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
228,687 games: White 48.8% / Draw 6.8% / Black 44.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 65,11865K | ||
| 57,07257K | ||
| 46,37846K | ||
| 22,75523K | ||
| 15,42715K | ||
| 10,66711K | ||
| 5,7855,785 | ||
| 1,9021,902 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.18 The position is about equal
Best play: 7. Na3 c5 8. Nxc4 Be6 9. Nfe5 Qc8 10. dxc5 Nfd7 11. Nxd7 Nxd7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for Black: Black scores 45% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up and 47% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 7,755 | |
| 1400–1799 | 35K | |
| 1800–2199 | 121K | |
| 2200 and up | 84K | |
| Masters, over the board | 2,456 |
Master games
- Nakamura, H. – Caruana, F.
- Kramnik, V. – Giri, A.
- Mamedyarov, S. – Grischuk, A.
- Karjakin, S. – Caruana, F.
- Aronian, L. – Giri, A.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Classical Variation, Modern Defense (ECO D77, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Classical Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O d5 6. c4 dxc4 (6 moves).
In 228,687 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.8%, Black 44.3% and 6.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Na3, in 28% 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 Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Classical Variation, Modern Defense
The most played answer, 7. Na3, also scores best for White: 55.2%, with White winning 50.9% and Black 40.5% of 65K games. Of the main answers, 7. Ne5 scores lowest: 50.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. Na3.
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
Popularity by year
The Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Classical Variation, Modern Defense has gained ground since 2016: 0.0081% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0065% (its peak: 0.011% in 2020).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0065% | 2,324 |
| 2017 | 0.0082% | 4,539 |
| 2018 | 0.011% | 8,263 |
| 2019 | 0.0099% | 12,407 |
| 2020 | 0.011% | 32,653 |
| 2021 | 0.0087% | 33,870 |
| 2022 | 0.009% | 33,784 |
| 2023 | 0.0084% | 31,606 |
| 2024 | 0.008% | 28,776 |
| 2025 | 0.0081% | 28,197 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0083% | 9,103 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Classical Variation, Modern Defense (D77)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/neo-grunfeld-defense-classical-variation-modern-defense