Old Indian Defense: Duz-Khotimirsky Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
11,001 games: White 45.3% / Draw 4.5% / Black 50.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 5,9085,908 | ||
| 2,4612,461 | ||
| 1,7611,761 | ||
| 401401 | ||
| 117117 | ||
| 103103 | ||
| 8484 | ||
| 5656 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.21 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... g6 6. d5 Bh6 7. Bc2 O-O 8. Nge2 Nc5 9. e4 Bxc1 10. Qxc1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Old Indian Defense: Duz-Khotimirsky Variation (ECO A54, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Old Indian Defense: Ukrainian Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. Nc3 e5 4. e3 Nbd7 5. Bd3 (5 moves).
In 11,001 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.3%, Black 50.2% and 4.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Be7, in 54% 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: Duz-Khotimirsky Variation
5…g6 scores best for Black: 61.1%, with Black winning 59.0% and White 36.8% of 2,461 games. The most played answer, 5…Be7, scores lowest: 50.0% in 5,908 games. Stockfish's first choice is also 5…g6.
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. “Old Indian Defense: Duz-Khotimirsky Variation (A54)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/old-indian-defense-duz-khotimirsky-variation