Old Indian Defense: Czech Variation, with Nc3
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Statistics from Lichess
974,281 games: White 49.1% / Draw 4.7% / Black 46.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 531,319531K | ||
| 224,793225K | ||
| 97,21697K | ||
| 35,02235K | ||
| 30,25830K | ||
| 27,85828K | ||
| 8,8238,823 | ||
| 6,6256,625 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.73 White is better
Best play: 4. e4 g6 5. Be2 Bg7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O e5 8. d5 a5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 48% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up and 42% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 118K | |
| 1400–1799 | 447K | |
| 1800–2199 | 617K | |
| 2200 and up | 79K | |
| Masters, over the board | 384 |
Master games
- Hammer, J. L. – Topalov, V.
- Dreev, A. – Van Foreest, J.
- Timman, J. H. – Tal, M.
- Timman, J. H. – Lobron, E.
- Sakaev, K. – Kuzmin, G. P.
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
Old Indian Defense: Czech Variation, with Nc3 (ECO A53, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Old Indian Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. Nc3 c6 (3 moves).
In 974,281 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.1%, Black 46.2% and 4.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. e4, in 55% 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 Old Indian Defense: Czech Variation, with Nc3
The most played answer, 4. e4, also scores best for White: 52.6%, with White winning 50.3% and Black 45.1% of 531K games. Of the main answers, 4. Bg5 scores lowest: 48.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. e4.
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 Old Indian Defense: Czech Variation, with Nc3 has gained ground since 2016: 0.045% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.025%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.025% | 9,039 |
| 2017 | 0.027% | 14,669 |
| 2018 | 0.029% | 22,518 |
| 2019 | 0.028% | 34,514 |
| 2020 | 0.026% | 76,665 |
| 2021 | 0.03% | 117,699 |
| 2022 | 0.04% | 148,703 |
| 2023 | 0.043% | 160,216 |
| 2024 | 0.045% | 162,787 |
| 2025 | 0.045% | 156,682 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.049% | 53,554 |
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. “Old Indian Defense: Czech Variation, with Nc3 (A53)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/old-indian-defense-czech-variation-with-nc3