Grünfeld Defence, Nadanian Variation
The Nadanian Variation of the Grünfeld Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:
The Nadanian Variation is classified in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings with the code D85.
History
The variation is named after the Armenian International Master Ashot Nadanian, who first employed it in 1996. His analysis was published in the 67th volume of Chess Informant.The birth of the variation has caused major ripples in the chess world. One of the world's most authoritative chess editions New in Chess Yearbook printed on the front cover of the 45th volume the following: "A Revolution in the Gruenfeld: 5.Na4!?!". Grandmaster Jonathan Rowson wrote in his book Understanding the Grünfeld that Nadanian "should be congratulated for seeing what everyone has seen, and thinking what nobody had thought".
The famous chess theoretician Grandmaster Igor Zaitsev wrote in the Russian chess magazine 64:
The continuation 5.Na4 of Armenian chess player Nadanian shakes by the extraordinariness. Yes, extraordinariness, because it is unusual among the unusual. A voluntary removal of the knight from the centre, yet that has gone on advantage? Therefore, the value of such centrifugal maneuver is beyond a simple theoretical novelty, in a certain measure it is a challenge to chess foundations, an attempt to grope new properties in two-dimensional chess space.
Theory
[White and White and Black in chess|Black in chess|White's] fifth move is overprotecting the key c5-square in the Grünfeld Defence, thus aspires to prevent an attack on the pawn centre by c7–c5. The extravagancy of White's idea is that they break at once two opening principles: avoid moving the same piece twice, and avoid placing a knight on the edge of the board. However, according to Nadanian, the position after the fifth move is an exception to the rules. By placing the knight on а4, White takes under control the critical square c5, and by next move 6.e4 will return a tempo back, as Black too will play an already developed piece.White should aspire to the following arrangement: e4, Be3, Be2, Nf3, 0-0, Rc1, Nc5. Black in turn should not allow this scheme for what it is necessary for them to put pressure on the d4 pawn.
The main line continues 5...Bg7 6.e4 Nb6 7.Be3 0-0 8.Nf3 Bg4 9.Be2 Nc6 10.d5 Ne5 11.Nxe5 Bxe2 12.Qxe2 Nxa4 with approximately equal chances.
Another possible line is 5...e5 6.dxe5 Nc6, which is according to Lubomir Kavalek "perhaps the only way to punish the white knight's venture to the edge of the board". After 7.a3 7...Bf5 8.Nf3 Qd7 9.e3 0-0-0 10.Be2 10...Qe7 11.Qb3 Bg7 according to Yelena Dembo Black has a powerful initiative.
Use
The variation's most devoted practitioner has been its eponym, Ashot Nadanian. Various famous players such as Viktor Korchnoi, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Bu Xiangzhi, Alexander Riazantsev, Igor Lysyj, Walter Browne, Smbat Lputian, Timur Gareyev, Jonathan Rowson, Andrei Kharlov, Bogdan Lalić have employed it at some time or another, though few have made it their main line against the Grünfeld Defence.Example games
- Ashot Nadanian – Yannick Pelletier, Cannes op 18th 1997; D90
- Viktor Korchnoi – Emil Sutovsky, Dresden zt 1.2 1998; D85
- Smbat Lputian – Alexei Shirov, Montecatini Terme 2000; D85
- Bu Xiangzhi – Krishnan Sasikiran, Dos Hermanas Internet Chess Club 2005; D85
- Igor Lysyj – Alexander Morozevich, TCh–RUS Sochi 2007; D85
Modified versions
There are also modified versions of Nadanian's idea.- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Na4 – Improved Nadanian or Deferred Nadanian
- 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c5 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.0-0 Nc6 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Na5 – Reversed Nadanian
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.f3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Na4 – '''Neo-Nadanian'''