Looking for a chess opening full of tactical possibilities? Master the typical tactical themes of the Grunfeld with the US Chess Champion, Sam Shankland. Get instant access with 35% off. ►https://ichs.co/2rH9Fj2
The Grunfeld is a chess opening for Black against 1.d4 and occurs after the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5. This opening gets its name from a famous game in 1922 when Ernst Grünfeld beat Alexander Alekhine with the opening. Since then, the Grunfeld has been a favorite weapon of World Champions Smyslov, Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov and Vishy Anand.
Many positions in the Grunfeld promise Black more active play than in most other openings. Black is able to enter unbalanced positions which allow him to aim for more than just equality. This is why the Grunfeld has become one of Black’s most popular choices against 1.d4.
It is key to understand that the Grunfeld is a hypermodern opening. This means that Black does not try to control the center early on with his pawns but spends some time on fianchettoing his dark-squared bishop and only then attacks the center with his pieces. To put it into a simple formula: Black first leaves the center to White and then tries to conquer it later with using his superior development.
However, it is important to note that the Grunfeld is a sharp opening and many lines lead to very concrete play. For this reason, Black can not only enjoy all the rich possibilities, but also needs to be familiar with several critical ideas, tactical themes and strategic plans for both sides.
In this exclusive course preview, the 2018 US Chess Champion Sam Shankland teaches the ideas and motifs found in this sharp opening, explaining the essential tactics in the Grunfeld gives you a complete understanding of typical tactical patterns for both sides.
Sam talks about how a locked center is one pawn structure which often arises from the Grunfeld. This structure tends to be good for Black when White’s pawn is already on c3, and not on b2. In the latter case, White can always try to break open the queenside with b4 and occupy the c-file. With the pawn on c3, the queenside is completely locked.
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