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Learning The Grünfeld Defense So you want to learn how to play the Grünfeld Defense. You could try a few different things… You could try posting a forum topic somewhere on chess.com asking for opinions on the Grünfeld Defense. You would probably get a rough assortment of advice from lots of different people, eventually a flame war would break out, and, well, that would be the end of that. You could read, study, and follow a book on the Grünfeld, but once you're eventually out of "book", now what? You could watch grandmaster videos and DVD’s on the Grünfeld, but if you had any questions, you can’t just ask the GM and expect him to answer all your questions. (Assuming, of course, you can even contact him.) You could play a whole lot of individual games in the Grünfeld and do the best you can, but you could also be making the same mistakes over and over again without ever realizing it. You could hire a private coach to answer all your questions, but, after a while, that could get quite expensive. Or you could just hang out with a bunch of people who know something about the Grünfeld. Then you could all compare notes and share whatever bits of knowledge you've all gleaned over time...maybe from the methods listed above. But even that discussion would probably not last very long, nor would it answer questions that are likely to come up in the future. The solution? Team Vote Chess! It's convenient, it’s informative, it's cheap, and, most importantly, it works. Each team Vote Chess game is a classroom and the opponents are the teachers. They provide the questions and together we strive to find the answers. Two minds are greater than one, but several minds are greater than two. The Grünfeld Study Group members are all classmates. We do not compete with each other, we cooperate with each other. In many cases, voting is mere a formality. It is not nearly as important as the actual discussion. The group discussion is where the real learning is done. The Grünfeld Study Group exists for the sole purpose of learning, studying, and, in effect, teaching the Grünfeld Defense. We do not do this to prove the Grünfeld Defense is the best opening (although it might be). We do not play team Vote Chess to prove we are the best team (although we might be). We play team Vote Chess because it provides us with the best opportunity to learn, study, and teach each other the Grünfeld. Please join our Study Group. Learn, study, and teach.

Yes, I am just starting out after my coach recommended this opening. I would like to enjoy a match or two, a Vote Chess game with higher rated and frankly all players and even go to a forum that reads, "Stating out with the Grunfeld: Lines, variations and resources". I will submit a link to this forum to my administrative friend at chess.com so she can see if you all are interested in having me as an SA who will launch a not only the ideas presented above, but a new refurbished group enthusiasm to simply learn and practice the Grunfeld. If you need to know about me, check out my "resume" at the Londoneers, The ...g6 Repertoire, DHLC groups, etc. I am not afraid of the work needed to help a group who wants to be active again. Please add a comment of support below so Chess.com can measure your intentions and I can read your ideas. Much Regard to you all for staying in this group! Joe

Members of The Grunfeld Defence are invited to join us for Vote Chess games and other activities. Grünfeld Study Group

Pretty interesting move there, it might be non optimal against someone who happens to also play the KID but for the 'purist' Grunfeld player it might be a real pain in the ass. Personally, I think that something like 3...e6!? could make white just as unconfortable and from a practical point of view might be the best try, otherwise it wouldn't be bad to learn a favorable variation in the KID but that would be exactly what the white player expects. Another interesting try is 3...Nd4!?, 4.f3-Nf6! 5.e4, luring the white pawns forward in the same fashion as in Alekhine's defense. Any thoughts on this system?

I was flipping through a book on the Gruenfeld, and, when I came to the point which spoke about the Russian Variation, I thought that I had a good plan to develope the Queen-Side pieces, which stay stopped up in most Gruenfeld games. Tell me what you think. Tell me of any flaws you see, or if this is an already known line. I see no problem, but more eyes help.

This was the first time playing the Grunfeld let me know what you guys think.

Good day to all fellow Grünfeld players, For those of you interested in a theoretical discussion about the Classical Exchange Variation, feel free to join us at: http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-openings/gruumlnfeld-defense-classical-exchange-variation Thanks for your input! Titos75

Happy First Day of Summer Everybody!!! Since the whole planet is in a frenzy with World Cup Fever, I figured this was a good time to introduce the World Cup of Chess Openings!! To register your group, please go to this thread: http://www.chess.com/groups/forumview/wcoco---2010-registration World Cup of Chess Openings - Official Rules (Taken from the FIFA World Cup format) The current tournament features 32 teams, representing different openings, competing in Vote Chess games at 2-days per turn. There are two stages: the group stage followed by the knockout stage. In the group stage, teams compete within eight groups of four teams each. Each group plays a round-robin tournament, guaranteeing that every team will play at least three matches. A match will consist of 2 games, one from each team's prefered starting position. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage. Points are used to rank the teams within a group. Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss. If two or more teams end up with the same number of points, tiebreakers are used: first is goal difference, then total goals scored (this will be the in-game score found on the details tab), then head-to-head results, and finally drawing of lots (i.e., determining team positions at random). The knockout stage is a single-elimination tournament in which teams play each other in one-off matches, with extra games used to decide the winner if necessary. It begins with the "round of 16" (or the second round) in which the winner of each group plays against the runner-up of another group. This is followed by the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, the third-place match (contested by the losing semi-finalists), and the final. World Cup of Chess Openings - Proposed Schedule Aug 2010 - Match 1 begins (played Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov) Nov 2010 - Match 2 begins (played Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb) Feb 2011 - Match 3 begins (played Feb, Mar, Apr, May) Jun 2011 - Round of 16 begins (played Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) Oct 2011 - Quarter-Finals begin (played Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan) Feb 2012 - Semi-Finals begin (played Feb, Mar, Apr, May) Jun 2012 - Finals begin (played Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep)

Please join the tournament titled "Year Long Grunfeld Tour." Your rating must be >1500. The time control is 10 days per move. Vacation is allowed. You will play four games simultaneously.

Okay anyone want to post a variation or annotated game?