Caissa Codex
E15

Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Modern Line

Chess diagram: Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Modern Line after 6…Qe7

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Statistics from Lichess

2,578 games: White 51.9% / Draw 7.0% / Black 41.1%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
2,2562,256
129129
126126
4747
1717
22
11

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.38 White is slightly better

Best play: 7. Bg2 d5 8. O-O Bxd2 9. Qxd2 O-O 10. cxd5 exd5 11. Nc3 Bb7

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Modern Line (ECO E15, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qe7 (6 moves).

In 2,578 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.9%, Black 41.1% and 7.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Bg2, in 88% of those games.

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How to play against the Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Modern Line

The most played answer, 7. Bg2, also scores best for White: 56.2%, with White winning 52.7% and Black 40.3% of 2,256 games. Of the main answers, 7. Nc3 scores lowest: 48.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. Bg2.

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

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 6. Bd2 Qe7, the position after Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Modern Line (E15)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-indian-defense-fianchetto-variation-check-variation-modern-line

https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-indian-defense-fianchetto-variation-check-variation-modern-line