Pseudo Queen's Indian Defense

ECO A47beginner

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 reaches a Queen's Indian structure without waiting for c4, which quietly avoids a great deal of theory. Black's plan is unchanged — put the bishop on b7, contest e4 from a distance, develop flexibly — but White has not committed the c-pawn, so several of the sharpest anti-Queen's-Indian systems never arise. It is a practical, low-maintenance way into a sound structure, and it appeals to players who like the Queen's Indian's ideas more than its move-order arguments.

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Main line

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.c4 O-O 7.Nc3 Ne4

Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

1.d4 White advances the pawn to d4, staking a claim in the center and giving the bishop and queen room to develop.
1...Nf6 Black brings the knight out to f6, a great central square. It eyes the d5 square and is ready to challenge White's pawn in the middle.
2.Nf3 The knight jumps to f3, a strong central square. It guards the d4 pawn and keeps an eye on key squares in the middle of the board.
2...b6 Black nudges the pawn to b6, making space for the bishop to slide out to b7. This is the start of the Queen's Indian setup.
3.g3 White moves the pawn to g3, preparing to place the bishop on g2. This fianchetto puts the bishop on a long diagonal aimed right at the center.
3...Bb7 Black develops the bishop to b7, sliding it onto the long diagonal. From b7 the bishop shoots all the way across the board, putting pressure on the center.
4.Bg2 White places the bishop on g2, completing the fianchetto. The bishop on g2 is powerful, controlling the long diagonal and supporting the center.
4...g6 Black moves the pawn to g6, getting ready to fianchetto the bishop too. Both sides are setting up strong bishops pointing toward the center.
5.O-O White castles kingside, tucking the king safely behind the pawns and bringing the rook to f1 where it can become active.
5...Bg7 Black develops the bishop to g7, completing the kingside fianchetto. The bishop on g7 is very strong, watching over the long diagonal.
6.c4 White pushes the pawn to c4, building a strong pawn center alongside d4. Together these two pawns control lots of space in the middle of the board.
6...O-O Black castles kingside, moving the king to safety behind the pawns. Now both kings are tucked away and the rooks can join the game.

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Win rates by rating

Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.

Rating	Games	White wins	Draws	Black wins	Position after
400-600	302	44%	7.9%	48%	1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3
600-800	45	62.2%	4.4%	33.3%	1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2
800-1000	65	56.9%	4.6%	38.5%	1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.c4 O-O
1000-1200	26	61.5%	0%	38.5%	1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.c4 O-O
1200-1400	767	55.3%	3%	41.7%	1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.c4 O-O
1400-1600	1,480	55.1%	3.2%	41.7%	1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.c4 O-O
1600-1800	239	56.1%	5%	38.9%	1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.c4 O-O
1800-2000	394	55.3%	3%	41.6%	1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.c4 O-O
2000-2200	530	49.1%	6%	44.9%	1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.c4 O-O
2200-2400	514	47.9%	8.8%	43.4%	1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.c4 O-O

Most played continuations (1400-1600 rating)

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2 g6 5.O-O Bg7 6.c4 O-O:

Nc3 — played 63.1% of the time (White wins 54.5%, draws 3.5%, Black wins 42%)
Re1 — played 5.6% of the time (White wins 60.2%, draws 2.4%, Black wins 37.3%)
Nbd2 — played 5.3% of the time (White wins 57.7%, draws 2.6%, Black wins 39.8%)

Frequently asked questions

How does this differ from the real Queen's Indian?

Only in move order, but move order is most of what the Queen's Indian is about. Without c4 played, White cannot head for the critical lines that rely on that pawn, and Black gets the same bishop on b7 and the same fight for e4 with far less to memorise.

What is White's best try against it?

Either transpose by playing c4 anyway, which returns the game to normal channels, or go for the independent setups with g3 and Bg2 or an early e3 and Bd3 aiming to control e4 directly. The second is the more testing practical choice, precisely because it plays on Black's terms rather than the book's.

Is the double fianchetto a good option for Black here?

It is common and sound. Adding ...g6 and ...Bg7 gives Black pressure on both long diagonals and a very solid king position; the drawback is slow development and little immediate central presence, so White gets a free hand for a while. Reasonable for players comfortable defending a cramped but healthy position.