Openings 1.d4 Nf6: Indian defenses
Queen’s Indian Defense: Fianchetto, 4...Ba6 and Stats by Rating
3...b6 is what Black often plays when White avoids the Nimzo-Indian with 3.Nf3. The bishop goes to b7 or a6 and fights for e4 and the light squares. It is solid rather than sharp, and a favorite at the top level.
E12Queen's Indian Defense
Games from this position (1600–1999): 2,278
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
| Move | Played | Games | White · Draw · Black |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39% | 882 | ||
| 37% | 835 | ||
| 9% | 207 | ||
| 8% | 174 | ||
| 6% | 134 | ||
| 2% | 38 | ||
| 0.4% | 8 |
Plans for both sides
White
- 4.g3 is the main line: the g2 bishop meets Black’s b7 bishop on the long diagonal.
- Against 4...Ba6, 5.b3 protects c4; after 5...Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 White develops with Bg2 and O-O.
- 4.a3 (Petrosian) stops ...Bb4 and prepares Nc3 and d5; 4.Nc3 allows ...Bb4 and a Nimzo-like game.
Black
- Control e4: ...Bb7, ...Ne4 and sometimes ...f5 are the main ideas.
- 4...Ba6 hits c4 at once and makes White spend a move defending it.
- Keep the center flexible; ...d5 or ...c5 at the right moment frees your game.
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Queen’s Indian Defense at each rating
How often the position after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 comes up in rated Lichess games, how it scores and what players answer next.
| Rating | Games (Share of games) | White · Draw · Black | Top next move |
|---|---|---|---|
| <1200 | 49<0.1% | 4.Nc359% | |
| 1200–1599 | 413<0.1% | 4.Nc345% | |
| 1600–1999 | 2,278<0.1% | 4.Nc339% | |
| 2000+ | 4,7530.2% | 4.g353% | |
| All | 7,493<0.1% | 4.g346% |
What usually comes next
The most played moves from here, all ratings together. Thicker line = played more often.
Main variations
Black hits c4 first; the check on b4 lures the bishop to d2 before Black drops back. About four in five answer 5.b3 with 5...Bb4+.
130 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 38%, 21% were drawn, Black won 41%.
Show on the board: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7The traditional line: Black holds e4 with the knight or trades on c3, and White challenges it with Qc2.
115 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 43%, 10% were drawn, Black won 48%.
Show on the board: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.O-O O-O 7.Nc3 Ne4White takes b4 away from the bishop and plays for e4; Black trades on d5 to keep the center open.
Too rare in our data for numbers.
Show on the board: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5A Nimzo-Indian with Nf3 and ...b6 thrown in; 5.Bg5 is the most common answer.
102 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 44%, 6% were drawn, Black won 50%.
Show on the board: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bg5 Bb7 6.e3Black plays ...b6 before ...e6. White can take the center with Nc3 and e4, prepared by Qc2 or f3.
3,419 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 49%, 4% were drawn, Black won 46%.
Show on the board: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 b6 3.Nc3 Bb7
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At club level
This is an expert’s opening: more than three in five Queen’s Indian games here are played at 2000+, and below 1200 it is very rare. At 2000+ White answers with 4.g3 in about half the games, and Black then picks 4...Ba6 about a third of the time. White scores about 52% after 3...b6.
Practice it
The trainer answers with the replies people at your rating choose, in the same proportions, and brings back your mistakes on a schedule.
Related openings
- Indian Defense: 1.d4 Nf6
1.d4 Nf6
- King’s Indian Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6
- Nimzo-Indian Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4
- Old Indian Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6
- Trompowsky Attack
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5
- Budapest Gambit
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5