Queen's Indian Defense
The Queen's Indian Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6) is a solid hypermodern defence. Read the guide
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Statistics from Lichess
2,173,492 games: White 47.9% / Draw 6.9% / Black 45.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Fianchetto Variation | 924,051924K | |
| Kasparov Variation | 673,673674K | |
| Petrosian Variation | 249,644250K | |
| 144,124144K | ||
| Spassky System | 115,459115K | |
| Miles Variation | 33,88834K | |
| 11,40111K | ||
| 5,4095,409 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 7, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.22 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb7 6. Bg2 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 c5 8. O-O O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 49% under 1400, 48% at 2200 and up and 46% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 52K | |
| 1400–1799 | 355K | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.2M | |
| 2200 and up | 731K | |
| Masters, over the board | 57K |
Master games
- Aronian, L. – Carlsen, M.
- Aronian, L. – Carlsen, M.
- Anand, V. – Carlsen, M.
- Carlsen, M. – Karjakin, S.
- Kasparov, G. – Kramnik, V.
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 26, 2026
Description
The Queen's Indian Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6) is a solid hypermodern defence. Black fianchettoes the queen's bishop to b7 to control the central light squares e4 and d5 with pieces rather than pawns. It is the natural partner of the Nimzo-Indian: when White avoids the Nimzo with 3.Nf3, Black can play the Queen's Indian.
Origins
The Queen's Indian follows hypermodern principles: Black controls the centre with pieces instead of occupying it with pawns. It is regarded as the sister opening of the Nimzo-Indian, since both aim to stop White from taking full control of the centre with e4. Against 4.g3, which has long been White's most popular line, the standard reply through the 1970s was 4...Bb7; since then 4...Ba6 has become the topical line. Grandmasters such as Alexander Beliavsky, Veselin Topalov and Magnus Carlsen have played the 5.Qc2 line against it. Tigran Petrosian favoured 4.e3 as White, and Garry Kasparov used the Petrosian Variation 4.a3 early in his career.
The idea
With ...b6 and ...Bb7 (or ...Ba6), Black fights for the e4-square and keeps a flexible pawn structure. Black usually follows with ...Be7 or ...Bb4+, ...O-O and ...d5 or ...c5, depending on White's setup. White tries to gain space with e4, often preparing it with Nc3, Qc2 or a3.
Main lines
- Fianchetto Variation 4.g3: White's most popular line. Black can answer 4...Bb7, the traditional line, considered drawish, or the modern 4...Ba6, which attacks c4.
- Petrosian Variation 4.a3: prepares Nc3 without allowing ...Bb4, and aims for e4. Black contests the centre with ...Bb7 and ...d5.
- 4.e3, a quiet development that may lead to complex middlegame play, and 4.Nc3, after which Black chooses between 4...Bb7 and 4...Bb4.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- Very solid, with a sound structure and no early weaknesses.
- Flexible: Black adapts the setup to White's plan.
- Combines well with the Nimzo-Indian in one repertoire against 1.d4.
Weaknesses
- Some lines, especially 4.g3 Bb7, are drawish, so Black's winning chances are limited.
- The 4.a3 line gives White a pleasant space advantage if Black is passive.
- Black needs a separate answer if White plays 3.Nc3 or the Catalan with g3.
Who should play it
The Queen's Indian suits positional players who want a solid, low-risk defence to 1.d4 and are comfortable with slow manoeuvring. It works well against White players who want a sharp fight, because it gives them few targets. It is less satisfying for players who need to win with Black.
The numbers
On Lichess the Queen's Indian is balanced at club level: White wins 48–49.5% and Black 47% below 1800. From 1800 up, White edges ahead, 47.5–48% against 44.0–45.6%. In master games over the board, 52% of games are drawn, White wins 28% and Black 19.5%.
Suggest an improvement or report a mistake
How to play against the Queen's Indian Defense
4. a3 (Petrosian Variation) scores best for White: 53.4%, with White winning 49.9% and Black 43.0% of 250K games. The most played, 4. g3, scores 52.9% in 924K games, and 4. Bg5 scores lowest: 49.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. g3.
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 Queen's Indian Defense has lost ground since 2016: 0.082% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.098% (its peak: 0.12% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.098% | 35,146 |
| 2017 | 0.11% | 59,862 |
| 2018 | 0.12% | 97,200 |
| 2019 | 0.11% | 133,460 |
| 2020 | 0.093% | 273,193 |
| 2021 | 0.075% | 292,154 |
| 2022 | 0.077% | 288,895 |
| 2023 | 0.079% | 298,587 |
| 2024 | 0.078% | 278,939 |
| 2025 | 0.082% | 283,573 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.085% | 92,880 |
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 (5)
All 52 named lines that continue from here
No line matches.
Loading sub-variations…
Sources
- History and theory: adapted from the Wikipedia article Queen's Indian Defense, version of 26 October 2026, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Results: Lichess opening explorer, figures collected from September to November 2026.
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Queen's Indian Defense (E12)”. Lichess data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-indian-defense