Indian Defense ♜ ♞ ♝ ♜ ♚ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♛ ♟ ♟ ♝ ♟ ♟ ♞ ♟ ♞ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♟ ♜ ♛ ♚ ♝ ♜ Indian defences start with 1.d4 Nf6, a hypermodern approach that controls the centre with pieces rather than pawns. Depending on move order they become the King's Indian, Nimzo-Indian, Queen's Indian or Grünfeld.
1019 master games
2622 avg. Elo
14 variations
White wins %26 · draw %55 · Black wins %19
Played by: Firouzja, Praggnanandhaa, Ding Liren, Erigaisi, Gukesh, Abdusattorov, Keymer, Carlsen
Main line 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.e3 O-O 8.Rc1 dxc4 9.Bxc4 c5 10.O-O cxd4 11.Nxd4 Bd7 12.Qb3 Nc6 13.Nxc6 Bxc3 14.Qxc3 Bxc6 15.Qxf6 gxf6
Learn every line move by move on an interactive board with Stockfish 19 evaluation, model games and spaced repetition. Also: every chess tournament worldwide and 4,100+ puzzles.
Try 7 days free → Variations played by masters (14) Knights Variation · ECO A46 · for Black 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.e3 O-O 8.Rc1 dxc4 9.Bxc4 c5 10.O-O cxd4 …
350 games · avg. Elo 2618 · W/D/L 97/198/55 · Model game: Ding Liren – Wang Hao, 2025 (1/2-1/2)
Anti-Nimzo-Indian · ECO E10 · for Black 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 O-O 7.O-O c6 8.Qc2 Nbd7 9.Bf4 a5 10.Rd1 a4 …
343 games · avg. Elo 2616 · W/D/L 75/203/65 · Model game: Raja – Daneshvar, 2024 (1/2-1/2)
Normal Variation · ECO A50 · for Black 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 h6 6.Bh4 O-O 7.Nf3 Nbd7 8.Rc1 c6 9.Qc2 a6 10.a3 Re8 …
74 games · avg. Elo 2598 · W/D/L 17/43/14 · Model game: Aravindh – Moussard, 2025 (1-0)
Accelerated London System · ECO A45 · for Black 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 d5 3.e3 c5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Nbd2 Bg4 6.c3 e6 7.Qb3 Qc8 8.h3 Bh5 9.Be2 Be7 10.g4 Bg6 …
48 games · avg. Elo 2654 · W/D/L 12/25/11 · Model game: Firouzja – Caruana, 2024 (1/2-1/2)
Accelerated London System · ECO A45 · for Black 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 d5 3.e3 c5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Nbd2 Bg4 6.c3 e6 7.Qb3 Qc8 8.h3 Bh5 9.Be2 Be7 10.g4 Bg6 …
48 games · avg. Elo 2654 · W/D/L 12/25/11 · Model game: Firouzja – Caruana, 2024 (1/2-1/2)
Przepiorka Variation · ECO A49 · for Black 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 O-O 5.O-O d6 6.c4 Nbd7 7.Nc3 e5 8.h3 Re8 9.b3 exd4 10.Nxd4 Nc5 …
26 games · avg. Elo 2607 · W/D/L 6/17/3 · Model game: Samunenkov – Salem, 2024 (1-0)
Tartakower Attack · ECO A45 · for Black 1.d4 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Nf3 Bf5 4.Bg2 h6 5.c4 c6 6.Nc3 e6 7.Qb3 Qb6 8.c5 Qc7 9.Bf4 Qc8 10.a4 Be7 …
20 games · avg. Elo 2660 · W/D/L 8/8/4 · Model game: Banusz – Sindarov, 2025 (0-1)
Tartakower Attack · ECO A45 · for Black 1.d4 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Nf3 Bf5 4.Bg2 h6 5.c4 c6 6.Nc3 e6 7.Qb3 Qb6 8.c5 Qc7 9.Bf4 Qc8 10.a4 Be7 …
20 games · avg. Elo 2660 · W/D/L 8/8/4 · Model game: Banusz – Sindarov, 2025 (0-1)
Anti-Grünfeld, Alekhine Variation · ECO E60 · for Black 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.e4 e6 6.Ne2 Bg7 7.Nbc3 exd5 8.cxd5 O-O 9.Ng3 a6 10.a4 Nbd7 …
17 games · avg. Elo 2663 · W/D/L 6/5/6 · Model game: So – Shankland, 2024 (1/2-1/2)
Anti-Grünfeld, Alekhine Variation · ECO E60 · for Black 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.e4 e6 6.Ne2 Bg7 7.Nbc3 exd5 8.cxd5 O-O 9.Ng3 a6 10.a4 Nbd7 …
17 games · avg. Elo 2663 · W/D/L 6/5/6 · Model game: So – Shankland, 2024 (1/2-1/2)
West Indian Defense · ECO E60 · for Black 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.e3 O-O 5.Be2 c5 6.d5 d6 7.Nc3 e6 8.O-O exd5 9.cxd5 Re8 10.Nd2 Na6 …
15 games · avg. Elo 2617 · W/D/L 6/6/3 · Model game: Caruana – Mishra, 2026 (1-0)
West Indian Defense · ECO E60 · for Black 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.e3 O-O 5.Be2 c5 6.d5 d6 7.Nc3 e6 8.O-O exd5 9.cxd5 Re8 10.Nd2 Na6 …
15 games · avg. Elo 2617 · W/D/L 6/6/3 · Model game: Caruana – Mishra, 2026 (1-0)
Anti-Grünfeld, Basman-Williams Attack · ECO E60 · for Black 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.h4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d6 5.e4 h5 6.Be2 O-O 7.Nf3 a6 8.O-O c6 9.Be3 b5 10.a3 Bg4 …
13 games · avg. Elo 2634 · W/D/L 3/7/3 · Model game: Nabaty – Sindarov, 2024 (1-0)
Anti-Grünfeld, Basman-Williams Attack · ECO E60 · for Black 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.h4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d6 5.e4 h5 6.Be2 O-O 7.Nf3 a6 8.O-O c6 9.Be3 b5 10.a3 Bg4 …
13 games · avg. Elo 2634 · W/D/L 3/7/3 · Model game: Nabaty – Sindarov, 2024 (1-0)
Learn every line move by move on an interactive board with Stockfish 19 evaluation, model games and spaced repetition. Also: every chess tournament worldwide and 4,100+ puzzles.
Try 7 days free → Other openings Statistics from classical games of 2500+ rated players. Notation: K king, Q queen, R rook, B bishop, N knight.
