Caissa Codex
Tree path 6 levels Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian › Queen's Indian Defense › Fianchetto Variation › Traditional Line › Queen's Indian Defense: Traditional Variation › Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation
  1. Caissa Codex
  2. Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian E10
  3. Queen's Indian Defense E12
  4. Fianchetto Variation E15
  5. Traditional Line E15
  6. Queen's Indian Defense: Traditional Variation E17
  7. Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation E17 you are here
E17

Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation

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Overview

Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation (ECO E17) is a variation of Queen's Indian Defense: Traditional Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O — 6 moves.

In 523,313 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.8%, Black 42.4% and 7.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…O-O, in 83% of those games.

It branches into 5 named variations; the most played are Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation and Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Polugaevsky Gambit. In all, 8 named lines continue from it.

ECO code
E17
Group
Indian Defenses (E)
Length
6 moves
Parent
Queen's Indian Defense: Traditional Variation
Direct variations
5
Total in subtree
8

Generated from the data: the Lichess opening list and opening explorer. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.

Statistics from Lichess

523,313 games · White 49.8% / Draw 7.8% / Black 42.4%

MovesGamesW / D / B
O-O433,618
d637,886
d525,290
c512,126
Ne43,382
h62,750
h52,491
Nc61,558

Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 02:33:49

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Variations (5)

Related variations at the same level

Sister lines that share the same parent Queen's Indian Defense: Traditional Variation:

Show all 8 sub-variations (full subtree)

https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-indian-defense-classical-variation