Tree path 7 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 › Polugaevsky Gambit
Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Polugaevsky Gambit
Overview
Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Polugaevsky Gambit is a gambit, classified under ECO code E17 within the Indian Defenses family. As with all gambits, one side sacrifices material early — usually a pawn — in exchange for development, open lines, or initiative.
The Indian Defenses group covers Indian defences — hypermodern lines where Black challenges the centre with pieces rather than pawns.
It is reached after 15 plies of play, with the move sequence 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. d5 exd5 8. Nh4.
It is a variation of Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, which itself descends from the root opening Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian.
Step through the moves on the interactive board below, review the live Lichess statistics, or play this position against Stockfish at one of six difficulty levels.
- ECO code
- E17
- Group
- Indian Defenses (E)
- Plies
- 15
This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.
Statistics from Lichess
33,916 games · White 53.6% / Draw 6.3% / Black 40.0%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| c6 | 22,681 | |
| Ne4 | 4,023 | |
| d6 | 2,189 | |
| Re8 | 1,764 | |
| g6 | 945 | |
| c5 | 680 | |
| Qc8 | 552 | |
| Na6 | 460 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 03:08:26
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