So what does a world top-three player actually play? Giri’s repertoire is a great study in balance: smooth, positional systems as White, and a mix of classical solidity and dynamic counterplay as Black. Here’s the tour — with a link to a full guide for each opening so you can learn to play them yourself.
As White: 1.d4 and the Catalan
Giri is primarily a 1.d4 player, and his signature weapon is the elegant Catalan Opening. It typically arises from 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2, where White fianchettoes the light-squared bishop and points it straight down the long diagonal at Black’s queenside.
The Catalan suits him perfectly. It’s a slow-burn opening: White builds a lasting positional bind, keeps almost no weaknesses, and squeezes for dozens of moves in search of a tiny, permanent edge — exactly the kind of patient position where Giri’s technique shines. It rewards deep understanding over memorized tricks, and it hands White a comfortable, low-risk game virtually every time. That combination of safety and long-term pressure is Giri’s chess in a nutshell.
As Black vs 1.d4: the Nimzo-Indian and classical solidity
Facing 1.d4 himself, Giri leans on rock-solid classical systems. A cornerstone is the Nimzo-Indian Defense: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4, pinning the knight and fighting for the center with pieces rather than committing pawns too early.
The Nimzo is one of the most respected defenses in chess — flexible, principled, and famously hard to break down. It’s the opening equivalent of a solid handshake: nothing flashy, but it gives Black a sound, well-understood game every time. He’s equally at home in Queen’s Gambit Declined structures, the other pillar of his classical, “don’t lose with Black” philosophy.
As Black vs 1.d4: the Grünfeld for counterplay
When Giri wants to unbalance the game and play for a win as Black, he reaches for the dynamic Grünfeld Defense: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5. Instead of matching White’s center pawn for pawn, Black invites White to build a big pawn center — and then attacks it with pieces from the flanks.
The Grünfeld is a fantastic showcase of the “sharp” side of Giri that the “draw master” label always undersold. It’s razor-sharp, deeply theoretical, and counterattacking to its core — a weapon that Giri knows so well he’s produced a respected opening course on it. When he needs the full point with the black pieces, this is often where he turns.
As Black vs 1.e4: solid, with a Najdorf option
Against 1.e4, Giri keeps things reliable — but he’s also perfectly comfortable sharpening the fight with the celebrated Sicilian Najdorf, one of the most theory-heavy, double-edged openings in all of chess and another line he’s covered in a full course. It’s the same pattern as the rest of his repertoire: a solid default, plus a sharp weapon he can pull out when he wants to swing for a win.
Why his repertoire fits him so well
The common thread across everything Giri plays is that his openings are chosen to reach positions he understands better than his opponent, not just positions that look scary. A world-top-level repertoire isn’t about owning the single “best” opening — it’s about owning openings you know cold, from both sides of every structure.
That’s why Giri can steer a game toward a slow Catalan maneuvering battle one day and a Grünfeld counterattack the next, and feel completely at home in both. The Catalan and the Nimzo give him a low-risk foundation; the Grünfeld and the Najdorf give him teeth when he needs them.
What his repertoire teaches you
There’s a genuinely useful lesson hiding in Giri’s opening choices: have a solid weapon and a sharp weapon, and know which one to pull out.
- A “no-lose” default (his are the Catalan, Nimzo, and QGD) means you’re never in real trouble straight out of the opening.
- A “must-win” weapon (his is the Grünfeld, or the Najdorf) gives you something dangerous when you need the full point.
- A positional main line as White (the Catalan) rewards understanding over memorization and keeps giving you good positions for a lifetime.
You don’t need to memorize reams of theory — start by learning the plans behind one opening from each category and you’ll already be ahead of most casual opponents.
Keep exploring
See these openings do damage in his best games, learn how he uses them in his playing style, or head back to the full Anish Giri profile. Ready to learn one? Start with the Catalan Opening guide or the Grünfeld Defense guide.
Written and fact-checked by the Chess Lab Academy Editorial Team · Facts verified against Wikipedia, his FIDE profile, and Chess.com, as of July 2026 · Positions engine-verified for legality · Last verified 2026-07-10 · How we verify content.