English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Formation
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Statistics from Lichess
152,416 games: White 49.2% / Draw 7.7% / Black 43.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 77,09877K | ||
| 37,76838K | ||
| 21,54022K | ||
| 6,3446,344 | ||
| 5,6805,680 | ||
| 2,3232,323 | ||
| 998998 | ||
| 154154 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.19 The position is about equal
Best play: 3. d4 e6 4. g3 Ba6 5. Qc2 c5 6. d5 exd5 7. cxd5 Bb7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Formation (ECO A15, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, King's Knight Variation, reached after 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 b6 (2 moves).
In 152,416 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.2%, Black 43.2% and 7.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. g3, 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 play against the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Formation
The most played answer, 3. g3, also scores best for White: 54.4%, with White winning 50.1% and Black 41.2% of 77K games. Of the main answers, 3. d4 scores lowest: 50.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 3. d4.
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, Queen's Indian Formation (A15)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-anglo-indian-defense-queens-indian-formation