In November, Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi will be playing in the 2021 World Chess Championship Match, and their choice of openings is a big topic of discussion.
There aren’t many chess openings Carlsen isn’t willing to play while Nepo also isn’t afraid to go his own way.
For a fighting player like Nepo, one of his favorite defenses to 1.d4 is the hypermodern, counter-attacking GRUNFELD DEFENSE.
He isn’t alone in liking the Grunfeld Defense because many other strong GMs, including two chess legends – Garry Kasparov and Bobby Fischer – played this opening.
Among the many notable grandmasters who have played the Grunfeld are Anand, Shirov, and Leko. The most devoted fan of the Grunfeld is arguably Peter Svidler, who has played the Grunfeld his entire chess career with great success.
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The starting position of the Grunfeld Defense is most often reached with the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5
The Grunfeld Defense is an opening where piece activity and creating threats are the most critical factors. White can adopt a quieter approach when Black is advised to pick one line that neutralizes White’s system and outplay his opponent from an equal position.
Understanding the plans and ideas in the Grunfeld Defense is crucial even in the theoretical lines.
Generally, the sharper the opening in chess, the more critical knowing your theory becomes, but understanding the opening is always most important. Always look to learn the common tactics and strategies as you explore a particular variation.
Because Black is holding his own in the mainline Exchange Variation, there has been an increase in quieter options within the Exchange Variation like Carlsen’s 5.Bd2 and the Anti-Grunfeld 3.f3.
Considering his success with 5.Bd2 could Magnus think of using it again in the World Chess Championship?
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