Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld, Alekhine Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
363,797 games: White 50.8% / Draw 5.3% / Black 43.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 244,566245K | ||
| 74,22074K | ||
| 19,64220K | ||
| 15,78816K | ||
| 2,6472,647 | ||
| 2,2682,268 | ||
| 1,9471,947 | ||
| Leko Gambit | 1,9381,938 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.24 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... c5 4. d5 d6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. e4 e6 7. Bg5 exd5 8. cxd5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for White: White scores 48% under 1400, 54% at 2200 and up and 56% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 23K | |
| 1400–1799 | 51K | |
| 1800–2199 | 203K | |
| 2200 and up | 126K | |
| Masters, over the board | 4,232 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Caruana, F.
- Ding Liren – Carlsen, M.
- Aronian, L. – Carlsen, M.
- Caruana, F. – Grischuk, A.
- So, W. – Carlsen, M.
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
Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld, Alekhine Variation (ECO E60, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Indian Defense: West Indian Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 (3 moves).
In 363,797 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.8%, Black 43.9% and 5.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Bg7, in 67% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld, Alekhine Variation, Leko Gambit.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld, Alekhine Variation
3…c5 scores best for Black: 49.2%, with Black winning 46.4% and White 48.0% of 20K games. The most played answer, 3…Bg7, scores lowest: 46.1% in 245K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 3…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
Popularity by year
The Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld, Alekhine Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.012% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.019%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.019% | 6,617 |
| 2017 | 0.018% | 9,682 |
| 2018 | 0.02% | 15,449 |
| 2019 | 0.018% | 22,929 |
| 2020 | 0.017% | 50,111 |
| 2021 | 0.014% | 54,627 |
| 2022 | 0.014% | 52,538 |
| 2023 | 0.013% | 47,098 |
| 2024 | 0.012% | 42,986 |
| 2025 | 0.012% | 42,740 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.012% | 13,568 |
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. “Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld, Alekhine Variation (E60)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/indian-defense-anti-grunfeld-alekhine-variation