Old Indian Defense: Normal Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
270,475 games: White 48.9% / Draw 6.0% / Black 45.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 162,436162K | ||
| 48,65249K | ||
| 34,35734K | ||
| 16,68417K | ||
| 4,9684,968 | ||
| 874874 | ||
| 776776 | ||
| 687687 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.70 White is better
Best play: 5... g6 6. Be2 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. Be3 exd4 9. Nxd4 Nc5 10. f3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 53% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up, and 59% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 5,762 | |
| 1400–1799 | 27K | |
| 1800–2199 | 144K | |
| 2200 and up | 108K | |
| Masters, over the board | 3,711 |
Master games
- Svidler, P. – Jobava, B.
- Jakovenko, D. – Jobava, B.
- Topalov, V. – Khalifman, A.
- Moiseenko, A. – Fressinet, L.
- Dreev, A. – Movsesian, S.
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: Normal Variation (ECO A55, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Old Indian Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. e4 e5 5. Nf3 (5 moves).
In 270,475 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.9%, Black 45.1% and 6.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Be7, in 60% 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: Normal Variation
5…g6 scores best for Black: 49.7%, with Black winning 46.7% and White 47.3% of 34K games. The most played, 5…Be7, scores 48.1% in 162K games, and 5…exd4 scores lowest: 43.7%. 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
Popularity by year
The Old Indian Defense: Normal Variation peaked in 2018 at 0.014% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.011% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.01% | 3,736 |
| 2017 | 0.012% | 6,611 |
| 2018 | 0.014% | 10,621 |
| 2019 | 0.012% | 14,349 |
| 2020 | 0.011% | 33,093 |
| 2021 | 0.0092% | 35,801 |
| 2022 | 0.0095% | 35,859 |
| 2023 | 0.01% | 38,169 |
| 2024 | 0.0095% | 34,130 |
| 2025 | 0.011% | 39,341 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.012% | 13,625 |
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: Normal Variation (A55)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/old-indian-defense-normal-variation