Queen's Indian Defense, with e3 8…O-O 9. c4
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Statistics from Lichess
9,351 games: White 44.4% / Draw 6.7% / Black 48.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 6,6846,684 | ||
| 961961 | ||
| 884884 | ||
| 197197 | ||
| 186186 | ||
| 183183 | ||
| 120120 | ||
| 5454 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.12 The position is about equal
Best play: 9... Nbd7 10. a3 cxd4 11. Nxd4 a6 12. b4 a5 13. Qe2 axb4 14. axb4
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 chess opening that starts 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 b6 4. Bd3 Bb7 5. Nbd2 c5 6. b3 Be7 7. Bb2 d6 8. O-O O-O 9. c4.
In 9,351 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.4%, Black 48.9% and 6.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…Nbd7, in 71% 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 9. c4
The most played answer, 9…Nbd7, also scores best for Black: 53.2%, with Black winning 49.9% and White 43.6% of 6,684 games. Of the main answers, 9…Nc6 scores lowest: 49.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 9…Nbd7.
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, with e3 (E14)”. Lichess data as of 13 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-indian-defense-with-e3-13