What to play against the Grunfeld?

Hey everyone. I have become bored, atleast for the moment, with 1.e4 so I have decided to create an ambitious 1.d4 repertoire for myself! Most of the lines I have picked are theoretical and strong, and look very appealing, but I am not sure how I want to handle the Grunfeld. I am looking for something that is relatively mainline, and that gives me a lot of space and/or an initiative. From what I have seen, it seems like white has a lot of ways to achieve these goals, yet somehow black's defensive play always looks very convincing - even at WC level.

The exchange variation looks the most natural to me, and may be the strongest, but I have also heard that it is a theoretical monster, so I was thinking perhaps it would be wise to play something else. I sort of like the idea of playing 4.Qb3!? instead of the usual 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 because in some lines white can avoid the early Bg4 ideas. I think I saw a nice game a while back where Carlsen beat Dominguez in this line. Does anyone have experience with it?

What do you guys recommend? Remember, I am a 'mainline' type of guy, so please don't recommend quirky stuff like 4.h4!?.

I think you might like the Rb1 pawn sac line in the Exchange Var-its the line I use too should I face the Grunfeld :)...too lazy to post it up atm though x]

Other than that line I really don't know much about the Grunfeld...Im using this line cause its recommended in Starting Out 1.d4...White gets some nice pressure in this line though and often ends up getting the pawn back (usually Black's e or b pawn)

Good luck with 1.d4 btw :) I like mainlines too btw lol

LavaRook:  Is this the pawn sac line you're talking about?

Yep, BigTy  for the diagram xD

I have always liked/preferred the classical exchange lines when playing white against the Gruenfeld but there's a lot of work to be done as the exchange lines are very popular and what most gruenfeld players are best prepared to meet. According to my database the classical exchange line is the most popular but doesnt score as well as the modern exchange lines. If you dont wish to tackle exchange lines there are other good choices for white. The 4 Bf4  lines also do well for white and arent as popular nor as theory heavy as the exchange lines and the Russian system 4 Nf3 Bg7  5 Qb3 also does well for white.

Hmm... What about trying the Neo-Gruenfeld or the Accelerated Russian?

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. That 8.Rb1 line of the exchange does look appealing, especially considering there is some literature on it (2 books I can think of). The only thing is, if memory serves me right, it is also a hugely theoretical line. Of course theory has never stopped me from playing what I have wanted to in the past, mostly because many players my level don't know enough theory to punish me for going out of book after 10 or so moves, so I will definitely try it out in some blitz games.

The Accelerated Russian (4.Qb3) has been a line that has interested me for a while. Can someone explain the pros/cons of this variation compared to the normal Russian variation? I might try some of the other lines too, like 4.Bf4, but I would rather avoid g3 setups unless I were a Catalan player, and I am not.

Roman Dzindzichashvili recommends this line in "Roman's Lab - Butchering the Gruenfeld" as an alternative to the standard exchange.

I did a position search of my database to see how Roman himself does with the line he recommended and found 572 games from that position but not a single game of Roman's.......  this would seem to indicate he doesnt really have a lot of faith in the line to me.  However, I did note that it was played quite a lot by V Korchnoi . 

Korchnoi was  +5 -3 =7   with this line ( post 10 line )

Interesting Reb, I hadn't checked that out.  He did say that it was not necesarily the very best way to play but that it was a solid way to gain an advantage with white without significant risk and can be learned without too extensive memorization of lines. 

Hey dude.  I faced the same question when building a sound yet ambitious repertoire with 1.d4 2.c4.  Grunfeld is not so popular so I decided to reserve my theoretical energies for the KID/Benoni complex. (4 Pawn Attack is my choice!)

So against Grunfeld I settled on a hybrid of the Qb3 "Russian" system and the Exchange.  More details here: http://katar.weebly.com/2/post/2010/06/grunfeld-romanishin-variation.html

Romanishin played this way in the 1970s, and he is basically a demi-god of opening innovation in the 1.d4 2.c4 openings.  See what you think.  Also, look into the Exchange variation with 5.Bd2.  Peace out.  EDIT: i guess i'm too late with this comment.  What did you decide on?

Thanks for the suggestions. I decided on the Exchange variation with 8.Rb1. I am learning it slowly because I am busy with school and don't have a lot of time to play or study chess at the moment. I am still open to other options though if this one doesn't work out so good. I have had mixed results in blitz, often depending partially on how well me or my opponent knows the line we go into. I wish more people would play the Gruenfeld as black, it definitely leads to an interesting, albeit theoretical, game. The nice thing about this line is that when both players get out of book early (which often happens in blitz at least) white's position seems to be a lot easier to play.

i think that the saemisch formation(d4 Nf6 c4 g6 f3!?) tried in Anand Gelfand ; is a good way to fight against grünfeld.Black MUST know the advance of the f pawn.It is the most forceful variation against grünfeld

I find the Fianchetto Variation to be very strong for White.  Black ends up unable to trade off the Knight, leaving him with an extra piece to deal with in a cramped position.  The only caveat is that if you play the Fianchetto Grunfeld, you have to be willing to play the Fianchetto King's Indian as well.

It is by all means a main line as books on the "Anti-King's Indian" tend to define that as lines other than the Classical, Fianchetto, or Saemisch, and so the Fianchetto would also apply of course against the Grunfeld, who's main lines are basically all of the various exchange variations, the Fianchetto Variation, the Russian Variation, and the Early Bishop lines (4.Bf4 and 4.Bg5).

Against strong players I normaly choose the system with Be3/Rc1/Qd2. In this system black does not have many chances of active play and white playing for 2 results (with a draw as most likely result)

Against weaker players i often choose for the Bd2 system. 

I have realized a lot of player in bullet rating of 1500+ play the grunfeld against d4. Defense gets really annoying especially in the excahnge variation. I myself play this defense, but it always ends up drawish for me idk why lol. 

I have a lot of success with an anti-Grunfeld line: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3. Black can still play 3....d5 but after the exchange, 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4, Black's knight cannot exchange itself off since White has no knight on c3. Black usually retreats his knight to b6. As White, if you play the Saemisch against the Kings Indian or the 150 Attack against the Pirc, both systems involve an early f3 by White, you will feel very comfortable with this approach to the Grunfeld.  Most Grunfeld players find this extremely annoying and often go into a deep think after White plays 5.e4 because they have not seen this line very often and are wondering where to put their knight.

I wonder if the person who posted this is retired now? The grunfeld is an awesome opening for white and black though. Throughly recommend the Russian system with QB3 for white. This link went unposted for 5 years??????