Flank openings

Indian Defense

1.d4 Nf6

The Indian Defense starts with 1.d4 Nf6 and is catalogued under ECO A45, in the flank openings half of the book. The catalog indexes 53 lines inside it, grouped into 52 named variations, and the position after those moves has 1 playable continuation to walk from here.

Opening repertoire map

Root edges show how often each move is played around your Elo. Use the arrow on a position to reveal the next replies.

Current position
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Modern Variation
13 plies
Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Polovodin Gambit
Popularity by Elo
Share of Lichess blitz, rapid, and classical games that continued with each move.
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Current setup

Move ideas

  1. 1.d4

    Takes central space with a protected pawn and frees the queen’s bishop.

    Idea: Build a stable center that supports a broad positional setup.

  2. 1Nf6

    Develops a knight and prevents White from occupying e4 unchallenged.

    Idea: Keep the central pawns flexible and choose an Indian setup after White commits.

  3. 2.c4

    Advances the c-pawn to gain queenside space and control new squares.

    Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.

  4. 2e6

    Advances to e6 to claim central space and control nearby key squares.

    Idea: Give the pieces room to develop behind a durable central foothold.

  5. 3.Nf3

    Develops the knight to f3, bringing it into the game.

    Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.

  6. 3b6

    Advances the b-pawn to gain queenside space and control new squares.

    Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.

  7. 4.Nc3

    Develops the knight to c3, bringing it into the game.

    Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.

  8. 4Bb7

    Develops the bishop to b7, bringing it into the game.

    Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.

  9. 5.a3

    Advances the a-pawn to gain queenside edge space and control new squares.

    Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.

  10. 5d5

    Advances to d5 to claim central space and control nearby key squares.

    Idea: Give the pieces room to develop behind a durable central foothold.

  11. 6.cxd5

    Captures the pawn on d5 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.

    Idea: Open lines in the center and reshape the center for the next phase.

  12. 6Nxd5

    Captures the pawn on d5 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.

    Idea: Remove an active defender and improve the moving piece’s influence.

Book continuations

Waiting for Lichess game popularity.

1 move

Named variations

Each line below is an indexed entry under Indian Defense. Open one to load it on the board and keep exploring from that position.

28 more named lines sit inside this family — the tree above walks all of them.

ECO groups openings by the structures they lead to, so these families tend to share plans with the Indian Defense.