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1.Opening

Queen's Indian Defense

You play BlackE15SolidIntermediate

Fight for the light squares — especially e4 — with a fianchettoed queen's bishop.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ …

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Main Line: position after 9 moves1h2g3f4e5d6c7b8a
Main Line: position after 9 moves
2.Ideas

What the opening is about

Key ideas

  1. ...b6 + ...Bb7/...Ba6 controls e4.
  2. ...Ba6 attacks c4 and forces awkward defensive moves.
  3. ...c6 and ...d5 build a solid center.
3.Main line

Main line · 18 moves

Main Line

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Your moves Opponent
No. White Black1
d4White claims the center.
Nf6Flexible: develops, stops e4 for now, and keeps Black's pawn choices open — the start of every "Indian" defense.
2
c4White gains queenside space and adds control of d5.
e6Prepares ...d5 or ...b6 and opens the f8 bishop.
3
Nf3White develops, avoiding the Nimzo pin that would come after Nc3.
b6The Queen's Indian: prepares a fianchetto to fight for e4.
After 3…b6
After 3…b6
No. White Black4
g3White prepares Bg2 to contest the long diagonal.
Ba6Nimzowitsch's idea: attack c4, which White hasn't defended yet.
5
b3Defends c4, but weakens the c3 square and the long diagonal.
Bb4+Check! Forces White to block, and the blocking piece will be misplaced.
6
Bd2White blocks with the bishop.
Be7The bishop retreats — the point: White's bishop on d2 now blocks the knight's best square.
After 6…Be7
After 6…Be7
No. White Black7
Bg2White completes the fianchetto.
c6Prepares ...d5 and protects against Bxa8 tricks on the long diagonal.
8
Bc3The bishop relocates to the long diagonal.
d5Black builds a solid center.
9
Ne5White centralizes, eyeing c6.
Nfd7Challenges the strong e5 knight.
After 9…Nfd7
After 9…Nfd7
4.Play

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5.More

More defenses against 1.d4