Sam Trenholme’s blog
The Grand Prix Attack
The above is an interactive chessboard. Click on the large right arrow button to advance the move. The single left arrow goes back one move; the double left arrows return to the beginning of the game; and the double right arrows go to the end of the gameThe Grand Prix
For years I have found the Sicilian Defense annoying. If someone played the Sicilian as Black against me, they almost always won. It has only been this year when I finally found a way to deal with the Sicilian: The Grand Prix.For years I tried to understand the Grand Prix, but it was not until I got Moret’s excellent book My First Chess Opening Repertoire (for White) that it became clear to me; that book has a chapter which explains the Grand Prix in a very easy to digest form.
I will not copy the contents of his book, but the summary is this: White plays 1. e5, Black responds 1. c5, then White plays, in this order 2. Nc3, 3. f4, and 4. Nf3. For the king side bishop, White will play one of Bc4, Bb5, or sometimes Be2. White castles kingside. d3 is usually played.
It isn’t always possible to get a textbook Grand Prix, of course. If, for example, the game goes 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e5?, then White would instead play 3. Bc4! and get a strong edge over Black in the opening. With 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g5?, 3. d4! threatens both the d and g pawns (via a discovered attack on the g pawn from the c1 bishop).
That’s nice in theory. Now, to show the Grand Prix, I could use one of the games in Moret’s book, but I think it makes more sense to show a game not in that book but still playing a textbook Grand Prix, ideally one played by an elite gransmaster where he goes on to win the game.
In his first game for the 2026 candidates tournament, Praggnanandhaa (“Pragg”) played the Grand Prix as White and won the game. It was a textbook Grand Prix, in fact.
So let’s look at that game to see how to play the Grand Prix.
Praggnanandhaa v. Giri, Candidates 2026
1. e4 c5
The annoying Sicilian. Considering Pragg’s next moves, I almost think he was reading Moret’s book before the game and decided to follow it to the letter against Giri.
2. Nc3 d6 3. f4
The chess master who taught me how to play Chess well enough to beat my friends told me that the secret to playing the Sicilian well as White is knowing when to play f4. I’ve decided the best answer is “as soon as possible”, and, indeed Pragg (at least for this game) agreed with me and played f4 on his third move. The only reason we don’t play f4 on the second move is because of 1. e4 c5 2. f4 d5.
Levy Rozman says that with 2...d6, it’s hard for Black to equalize against the Grand Prix.
3...g6 4. Nf3 Bg7
On the White half of the board, we see the first four moves of a textbook Grand Prix attack:
1. e4 2. Nc3 3. f4 4. Nf3
Giri is going for a king side fianchetto, which is, as per Moret’s book, Black’s most common response to the Grand Prix.
5. Bb5+ Bd7
White has three places to put his bishop in the Grand Prix: Bc4 (the most common at club level, as per Moret’s book), Bb5 (more common in high level play, since this is a more positional place for the bishop, as seen in this game), and occassionally Be2. In this game, Pragg tries to put it on the square b5.
Colovic says that 5. Bc4 doesn’t make sense at the master level because of 5...Nc6.
6. a4 Nc6 7. O-O
As usual in the Sicilian Grand Prix, White castles on the kingside.
7...a6 8. Bc4
Pragg was unable to keep that bishop on b5, so it goes to the square Moret feels is best: White’s kingside bishop is now on c4, the most common square for White’s bishop when the Grand Prix is played at club level.
8...e6 9. d3
With the exception of White’s queen rook pawn (left side pawn) being on a4, this is a textbook position for the Sicilian Grand Prix in the early midgame:
- The knights are on c3 and f3
- Pawns are on d3, e4, and f4
- The kingside (light-squared) bishop is on c4
- White has castled on the kingside
If Black were to castle on the kingside, the general plan of attack is this:
- White’s queenside (dark-squared) bishop goes on h6
- White’s knight is on g5
- White’s queen is on h4
9...Nge7 10. f5
A very common theme in the Sicilian Gran Prix is that White’s queenside (dark squared) bishop is not developed until White plays f5 first. As it turns out, 10. Be3 would had been White’s best move here, but there’s a good reason he didn’t play it: Be3 can be very dangerous in the Grand Prix.
Let us suppose that Black’s queenside (light squared) bishop was on c8 instead of d7, and that White was foolish enough to play Be3? in that position.
White would, in this analysis position, lose a piece after Black plays 1...d5!
- If 1...d5! 2. Bb3 (or Ba2) d4 and now the knight on c3 and the bishop on e3 are forked by the d4 pawn; 3. Bxd4 is replied to with either 3...Nxd4 or 3...cxd4 and White will end up down a piece.
- If 2. Bxd5 (or Nxd5), then 2...exd5 and White is again down a piece.
- If 1...d5! 2. exd5 exd5 3. Nxd5 (or Bxd5) Nxd5 4. Bxd5 Qxd5 then White is once again down a piece.
- 1...d5 2. exd5 exd5 3. Bb3 d4 and yet again White loses a piece.
Back to the played game, where Black’s light squared bishop was on d7 and White played f5, what we see is a good position for Black to castle kingside. Niclas Huschenbeth says that Giri, in fact, has a online Chess course telling Black to castle kingside here.
Levy Rozman says that 10. f5 makes it less desirable to Black to kingside castle.
10...exf5 11. Qe1
The queen on e1 allows White to put pressure on the semi-open E file, as well as on the h4 square.
It’s very tempting for black to castle kingside here, but that is now a trap that puts Black in a position that greatly favors White.
Black’s best moves here are Nb4 (to threaten Nxc2) or h6 (to prevent Ng5).
11...Be6
An error on Giri’s part: The game before slightly favored Black (as do many games which start off with the Grand Prix) but now slightly favors White.
If Black had played Nb4, his best move in this position, the game might had continued 11...Nb4 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Bb3 Qc7 14. Ng5 O-O 15. Qh4 h6 etc.
12. exf5
White now has his queen bearing down an open e file.
12...gxf5 13. Bxe6 fxe6 14. Qxe6
By taking the pawn on e6, White keeps the e file open.
14...Qd7 15. Qc4 O-O-O
With his kingside in tatters, Black has no choice but to castle queenside.
16. Bg5 Rde8 17. Rae1 Ng6 18. Nd5 Kb8 19. Nf6 Bxf6 20. Bxf6 Rhf8 21. Bc3 f4 22. Rxe8+ Rxe8 23. Re1 Rf8 24. Qe6 Qxe6 25. Rxe6 Kc7 26. Ng5 Kd7 27. Re4 Rf5 28. Nxh7
By taking the pawn on h7, White’s king rook pawn is now a passed pawn.
Agadmator says that Giri sacrificed his h pawn to allow his d pawn to move down to the d4 square.
28...d5 29. Re2 d4 30. Be1 Nce5 31. Re4 Ng4 32. h3 Ne3 33. c3 Nd5 34. h4 dxc3 35. bxc3 Rh5 36. Ng5
Here, Black’s best options include advancing the b (queen knight’s) pawn or taking White’s passed pawn with Nxh4.
Agadmator, commenting on this game, says that Nxh4 loses for Black: After 36...Nxh4 37. Ne6 which threatens both Nxc5 and Nxf4. After 37...Nf5 38. c4 Nf6 39. Nf8+ Kd8 (39...Kd6?? 40. Re6+ followed by 41. Kxf6) 40. Rxf4 and now White’s g pawn is a passed pawn. Stockfish says the best line after 36...Nxh4 is 37. Ne6 b6 38. c4 Nb4 39. Nxf4 Rh6 and White is still ahead.
Colovic also doesn’t like Nxh4 for Black.
36...Nf6
While White had an edge before this move, this gives White an easier game.
37. Re6 Rxg5 38. Rxf6 Rg4 39. h5 Ne5 40. h6 Nf3+ 41. Kf1 Nxe1 42. Kxe1 Rxg2 43. Rxf4 Rh2
White’s passed h (king’s rook) pawn is now unstoppable.
44. Rf6 Rh3 45. Kd2
Black can now only delay the inevitable promotion of the h pawn (or, likewise, the loss of his rook to stop said promotion) with a series of checks.
45...Rh2+ 46. Ke3 Rh3+ 47. Ke4 c4 48. dxc4 Rxc3 49. Kf5 Ke7 50. Rb6 Rxc4 51. h7
If Black plays 51...Rh4 to try and capture the passed pawn, 52. Rxb7+ and now Black’s king must move aside which allows White to guard his passed pawn.
With 51...Rc8, 52. Rxb7 is again played and Black can’t stop the eventual promotion of the h pawn, e.g. 52...Kd6 53. Rg7 Rf8+ 54. Kg5 Rh8 55. Kg6 Re8 56. Rg8 Re6+ 57. Kg5 Re5+ 58. Kf4 Rh5 and now 59. h8=Q
Giri, seeing all this as Black, throws in the towel and resigns after 51. h7 made it clear promotion is unstoppable.
Further Reading
- Chess.com coverage of the first day of the 2026 candidates, including a lightly notated score of this game.
- Lichess board to analyze the game
- Lichess blog entry about the round 1 candidates games
- Chessgames.com discussion of the game
- Moret’s book (Amazon version) which has a chapter going over the Grand Prix in great detail, in a form easy for beginners to understand.
Videos
- Levy Rozman’s commentary on Pragg’s game.
- Agadmator’s commentary on Pragg’s game.
- Alex Colovic’s commentary on Pragg’s game.
- Vidit Gujrathi’s commentary on Pragg’s game.