Queen's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
526 games: White 42.8% / Draw 9.3% / Black 47.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 226226 | ||
| 128128 | ||
| 9494 | ||
| 5353 | ||
| 77 | ||
| 55 | ||
| 44 | ||
| 33 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Sep 26, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 9... d5 10. Nd2 Na6 11. Rc1 Rc8 12. Qe2 Nc5 13. Bb1 Qd7 14. Rfd1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Queen's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation (ECO E14, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Queen's Indian Defense: Spassky System3, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Bd3 c5 6. O-O Be7 7. b3 O-O 8. Bb2 cxd4 9. Nxd4 (9 moves).
In 526 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 42.8%, Black 47.9% and 9.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…d5, in 43% 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 Queen's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation
The most played answer, 9…d5, also scores best for Black: 53.5%, with Black winning 49.1% and White 42.0% of 226 games. Of the main answers, 9…Nc6 scores lowest: 50.8%. Stockfish's first choice is also 9…d5.
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. “Queen's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation (E14)”. Lichess data as of 26 Sep 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-indian-defense-averbakh-variation