Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation 7…c5 8. O-O
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Statistics from Lichess
33,142 games: White 46.2% / Draw 9.3% / Black 44.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 14,23214K | ||
| 9,3869,386 | ||
| 9,0149,014 | ||
| 132132 | ||
| 8383 | ||
| 6262 | ||
| 4949 | ||
| 3636 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.08 The position is about equal
Best play: 8... Nc6 9. Nxd5 Qxd5 10. Be3 cxd4 11. Nxd4 Qc4 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. Qd2
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. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. g3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Bg2 c5 8. O-O.
In 33,142 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.2%, Black 44.6% and 9.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 8…cxd4, 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. O-O
8…Nc6 scores best for Black: 57.2%, with Black winning 52.7% and White 38.3% of 9,014 games. The most played answer, 8…cxd4, scores lowest: 45.6% in 14K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 8…Nc6.
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 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/neo-grunfeld-defense-delayed-exchange-variation-4