Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Classical Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
23,860 games: White 51.3% / Draw 7.1% / Black 41.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 12,08912K | ||
| 4,1474,147 | ||
| 3,9243,924 | ||
| 1,7991,799 | ||
| 892892 | ||
| 336336 | ||
| 221221 | ||
| 219219 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.25 The position is about equal
Best play: 7. g3 Be7 8. Bg2 O-O 9. O-O Nbd7 10. b4 Ne4 11. Qb3 Nxc3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Classical Variation (ECO E12, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Main Line, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 exd5 (6 moves).
In 23,860 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.3%, Black 41.6% and 7.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Bg5, in 51% of those games.
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How to play against the Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Classical Variation
7. g3 scores best for White: 55.9%, with White winning 52.1% and Black 40.3% of 4,147 games. The most played, 7. Bg5, scores 54.9% in 12K games, and 7. e3 scores lowest: 48.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. g3.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Classical Variation (E12)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-indian-defense-kasparov-petrosian-variation-classical-variation