English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Anglo-Grünfeld Variation 5. Bg2 Nb6
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Statistics from Lichess
30,889 games: White 45.4% / Draw 7.4% / Black 47.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 15,61316K | ||
| 4,7184,718 | ||
| 4,1844,184 | ||
| 2,1322,132 | ||
| 1,9811,981 | ||
| 843843 | ||
| 614614 | ||
| 369369 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.56 White is slightly better
Best play: 6. h4 h5 7. Nf3 Bg7 8. O-O O-O 9. d3 c6 10. Bg5 Re8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Anglo-Grünfeld Variation (ECO A16, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: Anglo-Grünfeld Defense, reached after 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Nb6 (5 moves).
In 30,889 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.4%, Black 47.2% and 7.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Nf3, in 51% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 5…Nb6
6. d3 scores best for White: 55.0%, with White winning 51.4% and Black 41.4% of 4,718 games. The most played, 6. Nf3, scores 48.4% in 16K games, and 6. e3 scores lowest: 43.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 6. h4.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Anglo-Grünfeld Variation (A16)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-anglo-indian-defense-anglo-grunfeld-variation-3