Austria no.1 Markus Ragger teaches Grunfeld Defence

Markus Ragger on Grunfeld Defence

Learn the basics of Grunfeld Defence - Austria no.1 GM Markus Ragger | Video: ChessBase India

Timestamps

1:39 Introduction and the Indian connection

3:45 Ragger on Grunfeld Defence

4:12 First moves of Grunfeld Defence

4:33 Why Markus Ragger likes the opening

5:31 When was the first time when Ernst Grünfeld played this opening?

7:59 The reasoning behind d5

10:36 How should one approach the opening

12:56 Two volumes

13:16 Main line

31:33 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.h4

46:11 It's every single line that I am also playing

50:56 Most challenging line

58:57 If white has no queen and black is without rooks, how the opening would fare

1:01:49 Grunfeld is one of the richest openings

1:15:38 Neo Grunfeld

1:20:52  4...c6 5...d5

1:26:26 Trap #1

1:30:09 Concept

1:33:17 Trap #2

1:37:00 How to start playing Grunfeld

1:40:52 What's next for Markus Ragger

Power openings: Grünfeld Defence Volume 1 - Systems with cxd5

You are looking for an active answer to 1.d4? Then the Grünfeld Indian is an excellent choice! Not by chance this opening is one of the main weapons of some top grandmasters!

Power openings: Grünfeld Defence Volume 2 - Systems without cxd5

You are looking for an active answer to 1.d4? Then the Grünfeld Indian is an excellent choice! Not by chance this opening is one of the main weapons of some top grandmasters!

About Markus Ragger

Markus Ragger was born in Klagenfurt on 5 February 1988. He attended primary school in Maria Saal and graduated with honours from the Ingeborg Bachmann Gymnasium in Klagenfurt. Afterwards he did his civilian service at the Disabled Support Centre in Klagenfurt. He studied mathematics at the University of Klagenfurt for one semester before devoting his full attention and energy to chess. Markus is a professional chess player, has two children and lives in Graz.

Chess was in Markus' cradle. His grandparents played chess against each other every day and so he learned the rules as a toddler. At the age of 6 he joined his first chess club Maria Saal, for which he still plays in the Austrian Bundesliga.

Successes

- 16-time Austrian National Champion in the General Class

- Winner of the First Bundesliga with clubs in 9 different countries (AUT, BIH, CZE, ESP, FRA, GER, HUN, NOR, SLO)

- 67 points from 112 appearances on the 1st board for Austria at European Team Championships and Olympiads

- Since May 2010 first and so far only Austrian with more than 2600 elo points

- October 2016 first and so far only Austrian with more than 2700 Elo points

- February 2017 Highest Elo rating with 2703 Elo points, Highest world ranking 41st place

- 11 top-10 rankings in individual European and World Championships

- Best chess player in the German-speaking world

- Voted Austrian "Chess Player of the Century" in 2020