Bogo-Indian Defense: Wade-Smyslov Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
194,909 games: White 47.4% / Draw 7.4% / Black 45.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 77,42477K | ||
| 63,69364K | ||
| 22,72923K | ||
| 14,74415K | ||
| 10,69211K | ||
| 3,8843,884 | ||
| 594594 | ||
| 374374 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.29 The position is about equal
Best play: 5. a3 Bxd2+ 6. Qxd2 O-O 7. Nc3 d5 8. e3 Qe7 9. Bd3 dxc4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 48% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up and 47% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 5,177 | |
| 1400–1799 | 20K | |
| 1800–2199 | 97K | |
| 2200 and up | 84K | |
| Masters, over the board | 3,401 |
Master games
- So, W. – Carlsen, M.
- Giri, A. – Ivanchuk, V.
- Mamedyarov, S. – Vitiugov, N.
- Grischuk, A. – Navara, D.
- Fressinet, L. – Grischuk, A.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Bogo-Indian Defense: Wade-Smyslov Variation (ECO E11, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Bogo-Indian Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 a5 (4 moves).
In 194,909 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.4%, Black 45.2% and 7.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. g3, in 40% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Queen's Indian Defense: Yates Variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Bogo-Indian Defense: Wade-Smyslov Variation
The most played answer, 5. g3, also scores best for White: 52.9%, with White winning 48.9% and Black 43.1% of 77K games. Of the main answers, 5. Bxb4 scores lowest: 44.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. a3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Bogo-Indian Defense: Wade-Smyslov Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.0073% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.01%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.01% | 3,716 |
| 2017 | 0.0096% | 5,306 |
| 2018 | 0.011% | 8,573 |
| 2019 | 0.009% | 11,269 |
| 2020 | 0.0083% | 24,324 |
| 2021 | 0.0067% | 26,061 |
| 2022 | 0.007% | 26,333 |
| 2023 | 0.0074% | 27,701 |
| 2024 | 0.0069% | 24,605 |
| 2025 | 0.0073% | 25,289 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0073% | 8,050 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Bogo-Indian Defense: Wade-Smyslov Variation (E11)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/bogo-indian-defense-wade-smyslov-variation