Queen's Indian Defense
What is the Queen's Indian Defense?
The Queen's Indian Defense is a chess opening that begins with 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6. It is classified under ECO E12–E19 and has 58 named variations. Black chooses it with the move b6.
Moves: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6
ECO: E12–E19
Chosen by: Black
Main variations
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Bf4
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6
All 58 variations
| ECO | Variation | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| E12 | Main line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 |
| E15 | Fianchetto Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 |
| E12 | Kasparov Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3 |
| E12 | Miles Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Bf4 |
| E12 | Petrosian Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 |
| E14 | Spassky System | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3 |
| E15 | Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 |
| E15 | Fianchetto Variation, Traditional Line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 |
| E14 | Spassky System | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3 Bb7 |
| E15 | Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation, Nimzowitsch Attack | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. Qa4 |
| E15 | Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation, Quiet Line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 |
| E15 | Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation, Timman's Line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. Qb3 |
| E12 | Kasparov-Petrosian Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 |
| E14 | Spassky System | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Bd3 |
| E16 | Capablanca Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Bb4+ |
| E15 | Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb4+ |
| E15 | Fianchetto Variation, Sämisch Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 c5 |
| E12 | Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Andersson Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 Ne4 |
| E12 | Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Hedgehog Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 g6 |
| E12 | Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Main Line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 |
| E12 | Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Marco Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 Be7 |
| E12 | Petrosian Variation, Farago Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Ba6 5. Qc2 Bb7 |
| E14 | Spassky System | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Bd3 d5 |
| E14 | Spassky System3 | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Bd3 c5 |
| E17 | Traditional Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 |
| E17 | Anti-Queen's Indian System | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. Nc3 |
| E17 | Classical Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O |
| E15 | Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo Line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7 |
| E15 | Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Modern Line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qe7 |
| E13 | Kasparov Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 Bb7 |
| E12 | Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Classical Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 exd5 |
| E12 | Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Modern Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 |
| E16 | Riumin Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7 |
| E16 | Yates Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 a5 5. g3 b6 6. Bg2 Bb7 |
| E15 | Buerger Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 c5 6. d5 exd5 7. Ng5 |
| E16 | Capablanca Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Nbd2 O-O 7. O-O |
| E18 | Classical Variation, Traditional Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Nc3 |
| E17 | Euwe Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. b3 |
| E17 | Fianchetto Variation, Kramnik Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1 |
| E15 | Fianchetto Variation, Rubinstein Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 c5 6. d5 exd5 7. Nh4 |
| E12 | Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Kasparov Attack | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Qc2 |
| E12 | Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Petrosian Attack | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. e3 |
| E12 | Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Polovodin Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3 Bb7 5. a3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. e4 |
| E12 | Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Rashkovsky Attack | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Qa4+ |
| E12 | Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Romanishin Attack | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Bd2 |
| E17 | Opocensky Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. Nc3 Ne4 7. Bd2 |
| E16 | Capablanca Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Nbd2 O-O 7. O-O d5 |
| E16 | Capablanca Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Nbd2 O-O 7. O-O a5 |
| E18 | Classical Variation, Tiviakov Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Nc3 Na6 |
| E18 | Classical Variation, Traditional Variation, Nimzowitsch Line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Nc3 d5 |
| E12 | Kasparov Variation, Botvinnik Attack | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3 Bb7 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 g5 7. Bg3 Nh5 |
| E17 | Classical Variation, Polugaevsky Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. d5 exd5 8. Nh4 |
| E17 | Classical Variation, Taimanov Gambit | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. d5 exd5 8. Nd4 |
| E16 | Riumin Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Nc3 |
| E16 | Riumin Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Nc3 d5 |
| E14 | Averbakh Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Bd3 c5 6. O-O Be7 7. b3 O-O 8. Bb2 cxd4 9. Nxd4 |
| E19 | Classical Variation, Traditional Variation, Main Line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Nc3 Ne4 8. Qc2 Nxc3 9. Qxc3 |
| E14 | Spassky System3 | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Bd3 c5 6. Nc3 cxd4 7. exd4 Be7 8. O-O d5 9. cxd5 Nxd5 |
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