Queen's Indian Defense, with e3 7. O-O Bb7
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Statistics from Lichess
7,347 games: White 43.7% / Draw 5.0% / Black 51.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,6611,661 | ||
| 1,3951,395 | ||
| 1,0741,074 | ||
| 809809 | ||
| 678678 | ||
| 440440 | ||
| 369369 | ||
| 314314 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.05 The position is about equal
Best play: 8. b3 dxc4 9. bxc4 c5 10. Bb2 cxd4 11. exd4 Nbd7 12. Re1 Re8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Queen's Indian Defense, with e3 (ECO E14, Indian Defenses) is a variation of the Queen's Indian Defense, with e3, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. e3 b6 5. Nc3 Bd6 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O Bb7 (7 moves).
In 7,347 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 43.7%, Black 51.3% and 5.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. Re1, in 23% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 7…Bb7
8. Qe2 scores best for White: 49.4%, with White winning 46.1% and Black 47.2% of 809 games. The most played, 8. Re1, scores 45.5% in 1,661 games, and 8. h3 scores lowest: 40.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 8. b3.
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, with e3 (E14)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-indian-defense-with-e3-10