Indian Defense: Budapest Defense, Fajarowicz-Steiner Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
33,590 games: White 48.2% / Draw 4.9% / Black 46.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 15,52916K | ||
| 10,08610K | ||
| 4,6824,682 | ||
| 1,8251,825 | ||
| 673673 | ||
| 511511 | ||
| 105105 | ||
| 8585 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 23, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.74 White is better
Best play: 4... Bb4+ 5. Nc3 d5 6. Nf3 O-O 7. cxd5 Qxd5 8. Bd2 Bxc3 9. Bxc3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Indian Defense: Budapest Defense, Fajarowicz-Steiner Variation (ECO A51, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Indian Defense: Budapest Defense, Fajarowicz Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ne4 4. Qc2 (4 moves).
In 33,590 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.2%, Black 46.9% and 4.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Bb4+, in 46% 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 Indian Defense: Budapest Defense, Fajarowicz-Steiner Variation
4…d5 scores best for Black: 54.9%, with Black winning 53.3% and White 43.4% of 10K games. The most played, 4…Bb4+, scores 49.4% in 16K games, and 4…f5 scores lowest: 41.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 4…Bb4+.
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. “Indian Defense: Budapest Defense, Fajarowicz-Steiner Variation (A51)”. Lichess data as of 23 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/indian-defense-budapest-defense-fajarowicz-steiner-variation