The Anti-Grünfeld, Alekhine Variation: A Practical Weapon for White

The point of 3.f3 is straightforward: White prevents Black's typical Grünfeld counter ...d5, which would challenge the centre directly. Instead, you keep a pawn on d4 and prepare to develop your kingside without worrying about a central explosion. Black's most common answer is Bg7, fianchettoing the dark-squared bishop — played in over 47,000 of the 59,434 recorded games. Against that, White scores 49.2%, nearly identical to the overall win rate. The resulting positions are rich and double-edged: Black has long-term pressure on the long diagonal, while White can aim for a spatial advantage with e4, g4, and sometimes a kingside clamp. Neither side is winning by force, so you'll need a plan, not just a sequence.

Stockfish's top choice for Black at depth 16 is c5, leading to the line c5 d5 d6 e4. This looks like a reversed Benoni structure where Black tries to chip away at your centre from the queenside. Notice that Black does not fianchetto immediately — instead, they challenge your d4 pawn first. You respond with d5, then Black plays d6, and you push e4. At the end of this sequence, White has a massive pawn centre (pawns on c4, d5, e4) while Black has a backward d6 pawn. Your task in the middlegame is to convert this space advantage into an attack or a favourable endgame. The engine's choice tells you that Black's best try is to fight for central freedom, not just sit back and develop.

The five most-played Black replies each tell a different story about the position's character: - Bg7 (47,472 games): White scores 49.2%. Black commits to the Grünfeld setup anyway, just a tempo down. Your task is to build a centre with e4 and decide whether to castle short or launch a kingside pawn storm. - d5 (6,932 games): White scores 46.0% — your worst result. Black tries to force the Grünfeld break despite 3.f3. After f3, this position often resembles the Austrian Attack against the Pirc. Be precise with how you handle the resulting structure. - d6 (3,367 games): White scores 49.2%. A flexible move, keeping options open. You can continue with e4 and develop naturally. - c5 (667 games): White scores 45.3%. The engine's favourite line, which explains why you score lower — Black is playing the most principled reply. Study the resulting structures. - e6 (367 games): White scores 53.4% — your best result. Black blocks the dark-squared bishop's diagonal and may transpose to a KIA or a French-like setup. Use your space advantage. - c6 (330 games): White scores 51.2%, but this is flagged as an inaccuracy by the engine, losing about 0.5 pawns. The engine says Black should have played c5 instead, so if you see c6, you're probably already slightly better.

The known mistake is c6, which loses roughly half a pawn compared to the engine's recommended c5. If Black plays c6, they are preparing ...d5 in a different way — but it's too slow. Your centre is already solid, and you can continue with e4 and develop naturally. Black's c6-d5 plan takes two moves, whereas your central setup is already operational. Look to open the position on your terms, not theirs. In practice, White scores 51.2% after c6 — a decent result — but the engine says you could be doing even better with accurate play. In the drill below, try to find the most punishing reply and see how the engine responds.