Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
53,851 games: White 50.7% / Draw 7.0% / Black 42.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 21,70722K | ||
| 18,73319K | ||
| 10,80311K | ||
| 1,7221,722 | ||
| 328328 | ||
| 112112 | ||
| 8787 | ||
| 8080 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.46 White is slightly better
Best play: 6. e4 Nb6 7. Ne2 c5 8. d5 e6 9. O-O O-O 10. Nec3 Na6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation (ECO D71, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a chess opening that starts 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5.
In 53,851 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.7%, Black 42.3% and 7.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. e4, in 40% 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: Exchange Variation
6. Nf3 scores best for White: 56.4%, with White winning 52.7% and Black 39.8% of 19K games. The most played, 6. e4, scores 54.2% in 22K games, and 6. Nc3 scores lowest: 51.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 6. e4.
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: Exchange Variation (D71)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/neo-grunfeld-defense-exchange-variation