Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation 7…c5 8. dxc5
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Statistics from Lichess
15,334 games: White 49.3% / Draw 6.7% / Black 44.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 6,5786,578 | ||
| 5,4325,432 | ||
| 1,1551,155 | ||
| 843843 | ||
| 394394 | ||
| 251251 | ||
| 147147 | ||
| 130130 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 4, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.38 White is slightly better
Best play: 8... Na6 9. Ng5 Ndb4 10. Nc3 h6 11. Nf3 Nxc5 12. Be3 Qxd1 13. Rfxd1
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 D75, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a chess opening that starts 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. O-O c5 8. dxc5.
In 15,334 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.3%, Black 44.0% and 6.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 8…Nc6, in 43% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 8. dxc5
8…Na6 scores best for Black: 52.9%, with Black winning 48.7% and White 42.9% of 5,432 games. The most played, 8…Nc6, scores 45.4% in 6,578 games, and 8…e6 scores lowest: 40.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 8…Na6.
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. “Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation (D75)”. Lichess data as of 4 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/neo-grunfeld-defense-delayed-exchange-variation-3