1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.0-0 Nb6 opens the Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation (7...Nb6), ECO D76. Lichess records 17,032 games in this line, which gives us a reliable view of how it actually performs in practice.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation. On the White side, Aleksander Wojtkiewicz (15 games), Ognjen Cvitan (15 games), Evgeny Pigusov (14 games) top the database. Notable Black exponents: Lubomir Ftacnik (18 games), Igor Stohl (13 games), Maxim Turov (12 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
The picture changes a lot as you climb the rating ladder. Among 1200-rated players, it appears in 0.00% of games — 33 of them on record — with White winning 51.5% and Black 42.4%. By 1800, popularity is 0.00% and White's score is 47.7% to Black's 45.8%. Among 2500-rated players the line appears in 0.02% of games and draws spike to 11.9%, indicating tight preparation. White's edge erodes by 4.9pp from 1200 to 2500 Elo, suggesting Black's counterplay is easier to find with experience.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
Looking at move selection shows how forcing — or not — the position really is. Below 1600 the samples are small (33 games at 1200, 82 at 1400), so the comparison starts at 1600, with 188 games. There, the top reply is Nc3, played 61.1% of the time. Three other moves each take at least 5% of games, and the top three moves account for 80% of games. Entropy: 2.12. By 2500 (3,231 games), Nc3 dominates at 85.1% of replies; only one other move still reaches 5% and the top three moves account for 96.8% of games. Entropy drops to 0.92. The narrowing is significant — strong players consolidate around a small set of best moves, while amateurs scatter across many plausible-looking options.
Common Mistakes
- Neglecting development — Extra pawn moves in the opening are tempting, especially when you "know the moves". Developing a piece each turn is the simple correction.
- Letting White own the centre — Hypermodern openings concede central space on purpose, but only if you strike back in time. Delay the counter-blow and you end up squeezed.
Practice on Chessiverse
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