Old Indian Defense: Janowski Variation, Main Line
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Statistics from Lichess
67,080 games: White 51.6% / Draw 5.1% / Black 43.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 17,36017K | ||
| 14,20014K | ||
| 9,1299,129 | ||
| 7,8337,833 | ||
| 4,4034,403 | ||
| 3,9643,964 | ||
| 3,2103,210 | ||
| 3,0833,083 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.49 White is slightly better
Best play: 4... e5 5. e4 exd4 6. Qxd4 Nc6 7. Qd2 Be6 8. b3 g6 9. Bb2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Old Indian Defense: Janowski Variation, Main Line (ECO A53, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Old Indian Defense: Janowski Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. Nc3 Bf5 4. f3 (4 moves).
In 67,080 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.6%, Black 43.3% and 5.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…e5, in 26% 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: Janowski Variation, Main Line
The most played answer, 4…e5, also scores best for Black: 53.6%, with Black winning 49.7% and White 42.6% of 17K games. Of the main answers, 4…Nc6 scores lowest: 39.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…e5.
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: Janowski Variation, Main Line (A53)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/old-indian-defense-janowski-variation-main-line