Grunfeld Defense Exchange Kemeri Variation
Grünfeld Defense, Exchange Variation – Kemeri Variation
Definition
The Kemeri Variation is a branch of the Grünfeld Defense’s Exchange Variation that arises after the moves:
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Rb1
It is named after the international tournament held in Jūrmala (then Kemeri), Latvia, in 1937, where the move 8. Rb1 was employed several times. White places the rook on b1 early to bolster the c3–pawn, prepare b2–b4 expansion, and sidestep potential pins along the a1–h8 diagonal.
Typical Move Order
The most common continuations include:
- …0-0 9. Be2 Nc6 10. d5 Bxc3+ 11. Bd2 Bxd2+ 12. Qxd2
- …0-0 9. Be3 Qa5 10. Qd2 a6, when Black pressures c3 and a2.
- …cxd4 9. cxd4 Qa5+ 10. Bd2 Qxa2, accepting pawn sacrifices for rapid piece play.
Strategic Ideas
- White’s Queenside Majority: After 6. bxc3 White owns a 4-vs-3 pawn majority on the queenside. Rb1 supports the advance b2-b4-b5, gaining space and sometimes opening lines for the rook.
- Central Tension: With 7…c5 Black challenges White’s large pawn center. White often answers with d4-d5 only after completing development, using the space advantage to cramp Black.
- Piece Activity: The Grünfeld is built on active piece play. Both sides fight for the e4- and d5-squares; minor-piece maneuvers such as …Bg7, …Nc6, …Qa5, and …Rd8 are standard.
- King Safety: Opposite-side castling is rare; both players generally castle kingside, focusing attention on the center and queenside.
Historical Background
In the 1937 Kemeri tournament, grandmasters such as Salo Flohr and Gideon Ståhlberg explored 8. Rb1, impressing contemporaries with its flexibility. Although overshadowed later by 8. Be3 and 8. Bb5+, the Kemeri line remains a surprise weapon at all levels.
Illustrative Game
Gideon Ståhlberg – Salo Flohr, Kemeri 1937
Flohr accepted the extra pawn with 10…Qxa2, but Ståhlberg’s central advance 13. d5 and pressure on the semi-open b- and c-files yielded ample compensation and an eventual win.
Modern Usage
Contemporary grandmasters such as Peter Svidler and Anish Giri have occasionally revisited 8. Rb1 in rapid and blitz, valuing its off-beat character. Engines rate the position close to equality, but practical chances abound, especially against Grünfeld specialists who expect the main lines.
Interesting Facts
- The earliest recorded outing of 8. Rb1 predates Kemeri 1937 by only a few months—an obscure game in the Moscow Championship 1936.
- Because the rook comes to b1 before White has played d4-d5, it is sometimes humorously called the “premature rook swing” by club players.
- In online databases, the Kemeri Variation represents less than 5 % of Grünfeld Exchange games, making it an effective surprise weapon.