Indian Defense
What is the Indian Defense?
The Indian Defense is a chess opening that begins with 1. d4 Nf6. It is classified under ECO A43–E60 and has 53 named variations. Black chooses it with the move Nf6.
Moves: 1. d4 Nf6
ECO: A43–E60
Chosen by: Black
Main variations
1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4
1. d4 Nf6 2. g4
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4
1. d4 Nf6 2. e4
1. d4 Nf6 2. d5
All 53 variations
| ECO | Variation | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| A45 | Main line | 1. d4 Nf6 |
| A45 | Accelerated London System | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 |
| A45 | Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. g4 |
| A46 | Knights Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 |
| A50 | Normal Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 |
| A45 | Omega Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. e4 |
| A45 | Pawn Push Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. d5 |
| A45 | Tartakower Attack | 1. d4 Nf6 2. g3 |
| A51 | Budapest Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 |
| A46 | Czech-Indian | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c6 |
| A45 | Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit Accepted | 1. d4 Nf6 2. g4 Nxg4 |
| A45 | Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit, Oshima Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. g4 e5 |
| A46 | Knights Variation, Alburt-Miles Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 a6 |
| A45 | Lazard Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nd2 e5 |
| A45 | Maddigan Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 |
| A50 | Medusa Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g5 |
| A46 | Polish Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 b5 |
| A50 | Pyrenees Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 b5 |
| A45 | Reversed Chigorin Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 c5 |
| A46 | Spielmann-Indian | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 |
| A46 | Wade-Tartakower Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d6 |
| E60 | West Indian Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 |
| E00 | Main line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Qb3 |
| E60 | Anti-Grünfeld, Advance Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. d5 |
| E60 | Anti-Grünfeld, Alekhine Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 |
| E60 | Anti-Grünfeld, Basman-Williams Attack | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. h4 |
| E10 | Anti-Nimzo-Indian | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 |
| A51 | Budapest Gambit Accepted | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 |
| E00 | Devin Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g4 |
| A45 | Gedult Attack | 1. d4 Nf6 2. f3 d5 3. g4 |
| A46 | London System | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bf4 |
| A45 | Paleface Attack, Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Deferred | 1. d4 Nf6 2. f3 d5 3. e4 |
| A49 | Przepiorka Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 |
| E00 | Seirawan Attack | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Bg5 |
| E60 | Anti-Grünfeld, Adorjan Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. d5 b5 |
| E60 | Anti-Grünfeld, Alekhine Variation, Leko Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 e5 |
| A51 | Budapest Gambit Accepted, Fajarowicz Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ne4 |
| A52 | Budapest Gambit Accepted, Main Line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 |
| E10 | Döry Indian | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Ne4 |
| E10 | Dzindzi-Indian Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 a6 |
| A43 | Pseudo-Benko | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. d5 b5 |
| A47 | Schnepper Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 b6 3. c3 e5 |
| A51 | Budapest Gambit Accepted, Fajarowicz Defense, Bonsdorf Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ne4 4. a3 |
| A51 | Budapest Gambit Accepted, Fajarowicz Defense, Steiner Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ne4 4. Qc2 |
| A52 | Budapest Gambit Accepted, Main Line, Adler Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. Nf3 |
| A52 | Budapest Gambit Accepted, Main Line, Alekhine Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. e4 |
| A52 | Budapest Gambit Accepted, Main Line, Rubinstein Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. Bf4 |
| A45 | Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit, Maltese Falcon | 1. d4 Nf6 2. g4 Nxg4 3. f3 Nf6 4. e4 |
| A45 | Omega Gambit, Arafat Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. e4 Nxe4 3. Bd3 Nf6 4. Bg5 |
| A52 | Budapest Gambit Accepted, Main Line, Alekhine Variation, Abonyi Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. e4 Nxe5 |
| A52 | Budapest Gambit Accepted, Main Line, Alekhine Variation, Tartakower Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. e4 d6 |
| A48 | Colle System, King's Indian Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. e3 Bg7 4. Bd3 d6 |
| A45 | Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit, Stummer Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. g4 Nxg4 3. e4 d6 4. Be2 Nf6 5. Nc3 |
How to learn an opening
Learn the ideas before the moves: where the pieces go, which pawn breaks matter and what the typical middlegame plans are. Then play it, and after each game look up the point where you or your opponent left the known moves. MentoChess shows that point automatically for every game you import.
Opening lessons: Three golden opening rules · Scholar’s mate and how to stop it · Italian Game: plans, not just moves · Answering 1.d4: the Queen’s Gambit Declined · Meeting the Sicilian with 2.c3 · From moves to structures