Old Indian Defense: Janowski Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
261,803 games: White 50.2% / Draw 4.9% / Black 45.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 81,34881K | ||
| Main Line | 67,01467K | |
| 39,21939K | ||
| 17,08717K | ||
| 16,98317K | ||
| 12,91413K | ||
| Fianchetto Variation | 12,39412K | |
| Grinberg Gambit | 7,3377,337 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 26, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.65 White is slightly better
Best play: 4. Nf3 Na6 5. h3 h6 6. g4 Bh7 7. Qb3 Qc8 8. Bg2 c6
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 better this line does for Black: Black scores 47% under 1400, 51% at 2200 and up and 42% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 42K | |
| 1400–1799 | 158K | |
| 1800–2199 | 144K | |
| 2200 and up | 24K | |
| Masters, over the board | 637 |
Master games
- Dubov, D. – Karjakin, S.
- Sarana, A. – Caruana, F.
- Korobov, A. – Jobava, B.
- Vitiugov, N. – Rakhmanov, A.
- Moiseenko, A. – Jobava, B.
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: Janowski Variation (ECO A53, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Old Indian Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. Nc3 Bf5 (3 moves).
In 261,803 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.2%, Black 45.0% and 4.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Nf3, in 31% of those games.
It branches into 3 named variations; the most played are Old Indian Defense: Janowski Variation, Main Line and Old Indian Defense: Janowski Variation, Fianchetto Variation.
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: Janowski Variation
4. f3 (Main Line) scores best for White: 54.1%, with White winning 51.6% and Black 43.3% of 67K games. The most played, 4. Nf3, scores 52.2% in 81K games, and 4. e3 scores lowest: 51.2%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. Nf3.
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: Janowski Variation peaked in 2017 at 0.012% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.0098% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.012% | 4,114 |
| 2017 | 0.012% | 6,622 |
| 2018 | 0.011% | 8,510 |
| 2019 | 0.012% | 14,460 |
| 2020 | 0.011% | 30,876 |
| 2021 | 0.0095% | 37,007 |
| 2022 | 0.0098% | 36,636 |
| 2023 | 0.0099% | 37,230 |
| 2024 | 0.01% | 37,419 |
| 2025 | 0.0098% | 33,998 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.0099% | 10,850 |
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
Variations (3)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Old Indian Defense: Janowski Variation (A53)”. Lichess data as of 26 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/old-indian-defense-janowski-variation