Queen's Indian Defense, with e3 6. c4 Be7
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Statistics from Lichess
12,481 games: White 48.4% / Draw 6.7% / Black 44.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 9,6229,622 | ||
| 1,3091,309 | ||
| 622622 | ||
| 263263 | ||
| 168168 | ||
| 9494 | ||
| 9494 | ||
| 5959 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 26, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.37 White is slightly better
Best play: 7. Nc3 cxd4 8. exd4 d5 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Ne5 O-O 11. Qg4 Nf6
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. Nf3 e6 3. e3 b6 4. Bd3 Bb7 5. O-O c5 6. c4 Be7 (6 moves).
In 12,481 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.4%, Black 44.9% and 6.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Nc3, in 77% 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 6…Be7
The most played answer, 7. Nc3, also scores best for White: 53.1%, with White winning 49.7% and Black 43.5% of 9,622 games. Of the main answers, 7. b3 scores lowest: 50.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. Nc3.
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 26 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-indian-defense-with-e3-4