Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation 7. O-O Nb6
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Statistics from Lichess
17,472 games: White 46.6% / Draw 9.4% / Black 44.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 13,55914K | ||
| 1,4321,432 | ||
| 915915 | ||
| 857857 | ||
| 222222 | ||
| 163163 | ||
| 8383 | ||
| 7373 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.16 The position is about equal
Best play: 8. Nc3 Nc6 9. d5 Na5 10. e4 c6 11. Bf4 Bxc3 12. bxc3 cxd5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation (ECO D76, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. O-O Nb6 (7 moves).
In 17,472 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.6%, Black 44.0% and 9.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. Nc3, in 78% of those games.
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How to answer 7…Nb6
The most played answer, 8. Nc3, also scores best for White: 52.2%, with White winning 47.4% and Black 43.1% of 14K games. Of the main answers, 8. e3 scores lowest: 47.7%. Stockfish's first choice is also 8. Nc3.
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. “Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation (D76)”. Lichess data as of 13 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/neo-grunfeld-defense-delayed-exchange-variation-2