Queen's Indian Defense
ECO E12-E19intermediate
The Queen's Indian, 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6, is the Nimzo-Indian's natural partner: when White dodges the pin with 3.Nf3, Black fianchettoes and fights for e4 with the b7 bishop instead. The resulting positions are models of sophisticated maneuvering — White's main tries are the Fianchetto (4.g3, met by the modern 4...Ba6 hitting c4) and Petrosian's 4.a3 preparing Nc3 without allowing the pin. Solid, flexible, and immune to refutation, it has been an elite mainstay for a century.
Main line
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Bg2 c6
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.
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 | 42 | 50% | 2.4% | 47.6% | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 |
| 600-800 | 79 | 46.8% | 0% | 53.2% | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 |
| 800-1000 | 32 | 46.9% | 0% | 53.1% | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 |
| 1000-1200 | 25 | 44% | 0% | 56% | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 |
| 1200-1400 | 78 | 42.3% | 1.3% | 56.4% | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 |
Most played continuations (600-800 rating)
After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6:
- Nc3 — played 50.6% of the time (White wins 45%, draws 0%, Black wins 55%)
- Nf3 — played 11.4% of the time (White wins 55.6%, draws 0%, Black wins 44.4%)
- e3 — played 7.6% of the time (White wins 50%, draws 0%, Black wins 50%)
Frequently asked questions
What is the point of 4...Ba6 in the Queen's Indian?
Against 4.g3, the bishop attacks c4 — suddenly White must spend a move (Qa4, Qc2, b3 or Nbd2) defending it, and each defense commits White somehow. This modern treatment largely replaced the routine 4...Bb7 at top level because it poses problems before White's setup is complete.
Is the Queen's Indian drawish?
It is solid rather than sterile. Black has clear dynamic resources — the ...c5 and ...d5 breaks, dark-square play after trading on c3 in hybrid lines — and the maneuvering middlegames reward whoever understands the structures better. At club level that is a winning edge, not a drawing one.
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