Indian Defense: Reversed Chigorin Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
686,267 games: White 46.0% / Draw 4.6% / Black 49.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 395,898396K | ||
| 105,924106K | ||
| 46,47946K | ||
| 42,07242K | ||
| 38,88039K | ||
| 26,67727K | ||
| 24,62825K | ||
| 1,8661,866 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 6, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.56 White is slightly better
Best play: 3. d5 e6 4. e4 d6 5. dxe6 fxe6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Bf4 Be7
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 worse this line does for Black: Black scores 52% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up and 44% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 69K | |
| 1400–1799 | 220K | |
| 1800–2199 | 408K | |
| 2200 and up | 143K | |
| Masters, over the board | 351 |
Master games
- Grandelius, N. – Belyakov, B.
- Miladinovic, I. – Sindarov, J.
- Sahovic, D. – Quinteros, M. A.
- Rossetto, H. – Huebner, R.
- Moiseenko, V. – Panarin, 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: Reversed Chigorin Defense (ECO A45, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Indian Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 c5 (2 moves).
In 686,267 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.0%, Black 49.4% and 4.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 3. d5, in 58% 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: Reversed Chigorin Defense
The most played answer, 3. d5, also scores best for White: 50.6%, with White winning 48.2% and Black 47.1% of 396K games. Of the main answers, 3. Bf4 scores lowest: 42.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3. d5.
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
Popularity by year
The Indian Defense: Reversed Chigorin Defense has gained ground since 2016: 0.034% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.021%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.021% | 7,445 |
| 2017 | 0.022% | 11,890 |
| 2018 | 0.022% | 17,294 |
| 2019 | 0.024% | 29,505 |
| 2020 | 0.024% | 69,603 |
| 2021 | 0.022% | 86,156 |
| 2022 | 0.023% | 87,751 |
| 2023 | 0.026% | 97,846 |
| 2024 | 0.03% | 108,045 |
| 2025 | 0.034% | 118,381 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.036% | 39,478 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Indian Defense: Reversed Chigorin Defense (A45)”. Lichess data as of 6 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/indian-defense-reversed-chigorin-defense