Queen's Indian Defense: Miles Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
51,991 games: White 47.1% / Draw 5.8% / Black 47.0%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 41,99342K | ||
| 4,6064,606 | ||
| 2,5432,543 | ||
| 731731 | ||
| 581581 | ||
| 513513 | ||
| 415415 | ||
| 139139 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.09 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... Bb4+ 5. Nbd2 Bb7 6. e3 Be7 7. h3 c5 8. Be2 Nc6 9. O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Queen's Indian Defense: Miles Variation (ECO E12, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Queen's Indian Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Bf4 (4 moves).
In 51,991 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.1%, Black 47.0% and 5.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Bb7, in 81% of those games.
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How to play against the Queen's Indian Defense: Miles Variation
4…Bb4+ scores best for Black: 51.7%, with Black winning 49.0% and White 45.6% of 4,606 games. The most played answer, 4…Bb7, scores lowest: 50.1% in 42K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…Bb4+.
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: Miles Variation (E12)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-indian-defense-miles-variation