Old Indian Defense: Tartakower-Indian
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Statistics from Lichess
146,184 games: White 51.0% / Draw 5.6% / Black 43.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 68,22568K | ||
| 29,30929K | ||
| 11,29811K | ||
| 11,02411K | ||
| 9,7429,742 | ||
| 6,0196,019 | ||
| 4,8654,865 | ||
| 2,4722,472 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.77 White is better
Best play: 4. Qb3 Nbd7 5. Qxb7 e5 6. Nc3 Be7 7. e3 O-O 8. Be2 exd4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Old Indian Defense: Tartakower-Indian (ECO A54, Flank Openings) is a variation of the Old Indian Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. Nf3 Bg4 (3 moves).
In 146,184 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.0%, Black 43.4% and 5.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Nc3, in 47% 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: Tartakower-Indian
4. Qb3 scores best for White: 56.7%, with White winning 54.1% and Black 40.7% of 11K games. The most played, 4. Nc3, scores 54.3% in 68K games, and 4. Nbd2 scores lowest: 51.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. Qb3.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Old Indian Defense: Tartakower-Indian (A54)”. Lichess data as of 13 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/old-indian-defense-tartakower-indian