Indian Defense: Knights Variation, Alburt-Miles Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
27,440 games: White 52.4% / Draw 4.9% / Black 42.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 6,8786,878 | ||
| 5,9355,935 | ||
| 4,3024,302 | ||
| 3,5663,566 | ||
| 2,7362,736 | ||
| 1,5521,552 | ||
| 767767 | ||
| 545545 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 24, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.35 White is slightly better
Best play: 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 d5 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 Be7 7. e3 O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Indian Defense: Knights Variation, Alburt-Miles Variation (ECO A46, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Indian Defense: Knights Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 a6 (2 moves).
In 27,440 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.4%, Black 42.7% and 4.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. c4, in 25% 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: Knights Variation, Alburt-Miles Variation
3. g3 scores best for White: 57.7%, with White winning 54.7% and Black 39.3% of 3,566 games. The most played, 3. c4, scores 53.9% in 6,878 games, and 3. Nc3 scores lowest: 51.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 3. c4.
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. “Indian Defense: Knights Variation, Alburt-Miles Variation (A46)”. Lichess data as of 24 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/indian-defense-knights-variation-alburt-miles-variation