Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Kramnik Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
24,020 games: White 51.9% / Draw 7.8% / Black 40.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 7,9837,983 | ||
| 4,9644,964 | ||
| 3,6453,645 | ||
| 3,5893,589 | ||
| 1,3301,330 | ||
| 770770 | ||
| 664664 | ||
| 329329 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.22 The position is about equal
Best play: 7... d5 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Nc3 Nbd7 10. Bf4 c5 11. Rc1 Ne4 12. Nxe4
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, Kramnik Variation (ECO E17, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1 (7 moves).
In 24,020 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.9%, Black 40.2% and 7.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…d5, in 33% 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: Fianchetto Variation, Kramnik Variation
7…Na6 scores best for Black: 47.5%, with Black winning 43.8% and White 48.8% of 1,330 games. The most played answer, 7…d5, scores lowest: 43.4% in 7,983 games. Stockfish's first choice is 7…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: Fianchetto Variation, Kramnik Variation (E17)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-indian-defense-fianchetto-variation-kramnik-variation