English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
4,489 games: White 53.3% / Draw 5.2% / Black 41.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,5921,592 | ||
| 1,0001,000 | ||
| 669669 | ||
| 339339 | ||
| 297297 | ||
| 219219 | ||
| 179179 | ||
| 4545 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.10 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... c5 6. O-O Nc6 7. e5 Ng4 8. Be4 Qc8 9. Re1 f6 10. exf6
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 Variation (ECO A17, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Indian Formation, reached after 1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e4 Bb7 5. Bd3 (5 moves).
In 4,489 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.3%, Black 41.5% and 5.2% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Bb4, in 35% 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 Variation
5…c5 scores best for Black: 46.5%, with Black winning 43.4% and White 50.4% of 339 games. The most played, 5…Bb4, scores 44.5% in 1,592 games, and 5…d6 scores lowest: 42.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5…c5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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 Variation (A17)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-anglo-indian-defense-queens-indian-variation