Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld & Basman-Williams Attack
Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld
Definition
The term Anti-Grünfeld denotes any system in which White deliberately steers play away from the highly-theoretical Grünfeld Defence (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5) by avoiding an early Nc3. The most popular and theoretically critical Anti-Grünfeld line is:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3
After 3…d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 the position enters uncharted territory in which Black no longer enjoys the customary Grünfeld pressure against White’s centre. Because it begins from the move order of the Indian complex (…g6, …Bg7, …Nf6), ECO assigns these lines to the group D70-D71 and labels them “Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld.”
Typical Move Orders
- 3.f3 system – the main Anti-Grünfeld.
- 3.Nf3 followed by 4.e3 – the Neo-Catalan Anti-Grünfeld in which White keeps the knight on c3 in reserve.
- 3.g3 – King’s Fianchetto vs. Grünfeld; if Black insists on …d5, positions can resemble a reversed Benoni.
Strategic Ideas
- Build a broad pawn centre with d4–e4 supported by f3.
- Flexible knight development: Nge2 or Nc3 may be postponed until the centre clarifies.
- King-side space grab – in many lines White quickly plays Be3, Qd2, long castles, and launches g2-g4-h4 against Black’s fianchetto.
- Risk vs. Reward: the centre can become over-extended; Black seeks timely breaks …c5, …e5, or Grünfeld-style piece pressure on d4/e4.
Historical Background
The early f-pawn advance was occasionally tried in the 1950s, but it only entered mainstream elite practice in the 1990s. Grandmasters such as Peter Svidler, Levon Aronian, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave adopted it both as a surprise weapon and a way to escape mountains of Grünfeld theory. Its popularity peaked in the 2010s when the computer-age arms race made forcing Grünfeld lines a nightly homework assignment.
Illustrative Mini-Game
The following short PGN fragment shows the typical central build-up:
Interesting Facts
- Because of the Slav-like pawn triangle d4-e4-f3, many engines evaluate the Anti-Grünfeld as slightly more pleasant for White, yet practical results are surprisingly balanced.
- The line is sometimes called the “Russian System” because several Russian grandmasters—including Svidler and Grischuk—employed it in elite events.
- When Black answers 3.f3 with 3…c5 instead of 3…d5, the game can transpose to a sharp Benoni-Benko hybrid in reverse, giving the Anti-Grünfeld tremendous move-order trick value.
- The move 3.f3 appears counter-intuitive to beginners—blocking the g1-knight—yet the knight often reroutes via e2 to g3 or f4, echoing the Saemisch Variation of the King’s Indian.
Basman-Williams Attack
Definition
The Basman-Williams Attack (also catalogued inside the Anti-Grünfeld family as A45 or D02) is a flamboyant h-pawn thrust aimed at dismantling Black’s kingside fianchetto. The emblematic move order is:
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.h4!?
If Black continues 3…Bg7, White replies 4.h5, preventing …h6 and undermining the g6-pawn. The system is named after English mavericks IM Michael Basman and GM Simon “Ginger GM” Williams, both famous for unleashing “Harry the h-pawn” at the earliest opportunity.
Typical Continuations
- 3…d5 4.h5 Nxh5 5.c4 – sacrifices a pawn for central space and open diagonals.
- 3…Bg7 4.h5 Nxh5 5.e4 – turns the game into a pseudo-Grünfeld where the knight on h5 is misplaced.
- 3…h5 – the most solid; Black blunts the attack but yields the g5-square and creates dark-square weaknesses.
Strategic Themes
- Immediate aggression: h4-h5 forces decisions from Black and can lure pieces (…Nxh5, …gxh5) onto poor squares.
- Dark-square exploitation: After …h5 the fianchetto is weakened; squares g6, f7, h6 become targets.
- Unbalanced pawn structure: White often follows up with e2-e4, c2-c4, and Bc4, leveraging open lines before Black completes development.
- Psychological weapon: The early pawn storm is outside most opening books, putting the opponent on his own resources from move three.
Historical & Modern Usage
Michael Basman introduced 3.h4 in British Championship games of the 1970s. Decades later, Simon Williams revived the idea in internet blitz and tournament play, scoring several spectacular miniatures. The line has since permeated fast-time-control chess, where surprise value is at a premium.
Illustrative Example
Simon Williams – Sergey Grigoriants, Reykjavik Open 2015 (rapid excerpt):
White’s pawn storm distracted Black’s minor pieces, and the central breakthrough d4-d5! opened lines before Black could castle.
Interesting Facts
- Engines initially frown upon 3.h4, yet the resulting practical score in blitz databases is well over 55 % for White.
- Because the move order may transpose to Benoni structures after …c5, some theoreticians list it as an Anti-Benoni rather than Anti-Grünfeld, but the intent is always the same: punish the fianchetto.
- GM Simon Williams often refers to the advance as “launching Harry,” immortalising the h-pawn with a human name that has become a meme in modern chess culture.
- Despite its offbeat appearance, the Basman-Williams Attack features logical positional ideas: fixing weaknesses, provoking concessions, and seizing central space—proof that originality can coexist with sound strategy.