Neo-Grünfeld Defense: with g3 (3. g3 d5)
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 d5
The Neo-Grünfeld Defense: with g3 is a chess opening classified as ECO D70, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 d5. It is a line of the Neo-Grünfeld Defense. White is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 129 times by this move order. White won 55%, 6% were drawn and Black won 39%. The most popular continuation is 4. Bg2 (50% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.20 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 4. cxd5 c6 5. dxc6 Nxc6 6. Nf3 e5)
- ECO
- D70
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/ppp1pp1p/5np1/3p4/2PP4/6P1/PP2PP1P/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 d5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 4 | |
| 1500-1999 | 49 | |
| 2000+ | 76 | |
| All | 129 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. Bg2 | 64 (50%) | |
| 4. cxd5 | 54 (42%) | |
| 4. Nf3 | 8 (6%) | |
| 4. b3 | 1 (1%) | |
| 4. e3 | 1 (1%) | |
| 4. Nc3 | 1 (1%) |
Master games
369 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 50%, draw 21%, Black 29%). The strongest:
- GM Anish Giri (2727) – GM Veselin Topalov (2771) 1/2-1/2 · Renova FIDE GP Zug · 2013-04-18
- GM Nikita Vitiugov (2739) – GM Yi Wei (2706) 1/2-1/2 · 10th World Teams 2015 · 2015-04-21
- GM Baadur Jobava (2603) – GM Anish Giri (2780) 1-0 · MrDodgy Invitational 2 · 2021-05-16
- GM Vladislav Tkachiev (2659) – GM Etienne Bacrot (2702) 0-1 · Fujairah Masters 2012 · 2012-11-17
- GM Santosh Gujrathi Vidit (2726) – GM Peter Heine Nielsen (2618) 0-1 · MrDodgy Invitational 2 · 2021-05-12
Search all games of the Neo-Grünfeld Defense: with g3 and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- LeelaChess-Zero_0 (2675) – nuitet989893 (2576) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- LeelaChess-Zero_0 (2665) – nuitet989893 (2571) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- LeelaChess-Zero_0 (2642) – waterisl1fe (2585) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Immediate Fianchetto 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3
Continuations
- Neo-Grünfeld Defense: with g3 (4… Bg7 5. Nf3) D73 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf3
- Neo-Grünfeld Defense: with g3 (6… Nb6 7. Ne2) D72 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nb6 7. Ne2
More Neo-Grünfeld Defense lines (all)
- Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Goglidze Attack D70
- Neo-Grünfeld Defense: with Nf3 D70
- Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation (5. cxd5 Nxd5) D71
- Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation (5… Nxd5 6. Nf3) D71
- Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation (6… Nxd5 7. O-O) D74
- Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation (7… c5 8. O-O) D75
- Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation (7… c5 8. dxc5) D75
- Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation (7. O-O Nb6) D76
- Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Classical Variation D77
- Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Classical Variation, Modern Defense D77
- Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Classical Variation, Polgar Variation D77
- Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Classical Variation, Original Defense D78
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.