- ECO code
- A48
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6
- Family
- East Indian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 1,714
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1922–2026
East Indian Defense is the opening filed under ECO code A48, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6. It belongs to the East Indian Defense family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,714 games on this line — the 67th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1922 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 587 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 32% of those games, 34% end in a draw, and Black wins 34%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 6 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 3.c4, played in 511 games, followed by 3.g3 (368) and 3.Bg5 (273). 3.c4 leads into King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation. After 3.c4 White scores 32% and Black 33%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Smyslov, Vassily (55 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (168).
2 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation; Indian Defense: Przepiorka Variation.
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Results in master games
- White 32% (552)
- Draws 34% (579)
- Black 34% (583)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.c4 | 511 | 32/35/33 | King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation |
| 3.g3 | 368 | 30/38/32 | Indian Defense: Przepiorka Variation |
| 3.Bg5 | 273 | 30/38/32 | — |
| 3.Bf4 | 214 | 37/25/38 | — |
| 3.Nbd2 | 147 | 33/31/36 | — |
| 3.Nc3 | 90 | 41/22/37 | — |
| 3.e3 | 51 | 29/33/38 | — |
| 3.c3 | 37 | 24/32/44 | — |
Variations from this position
- King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation · 3.c4 · 511 games
- Indian Defense: Przepiorka Variation · 3.g3 · 368 games
How the position is reached
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 · 45,810 games
- Indian Defense · 1.d4 Nf6 · 29,631 games
- Indian Defense: Knights Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 · 5,074 games
Played most often by
As White
- Smyslov, Vassily 55
- Aronian,L 51
- Carlsen,M 50
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 168
- Firouzja,Alireza 90
- Nepomniachtchi,I 88
Games per decade
- 1920s 48
- 1930s 12
- 1940s 16
- 1950s 54
- 1960s 84
- 1970s 44
- 1980s 99
- 1990s 230
- 2000s 167
- 2010s 373
- 2020s 587
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nakamura,Hi | Firouzja,Alireza | 0-1 | 2026 | SpeedChess Final 2025 |
| Gukesh,D | Vachier Lagrave,M | 0-1 | 2026 | GCT Super Rapid Poland |
| Terry,R | Grischuk,A | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Feb 2026 |
| Leiva,G | So,W | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Feb 2026 |
| Eljanov,P | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 12th Mar 2026 |
| Keinanen,Toivo | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 9th Jun 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the East Indian Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code A48, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6. It belongs to the East Indian Defense family.
Is the East Indian Defense good for White or for Black?
In 1,714 master games on this line White wins 32%, 34% are drawn and Black wins 34%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is a slightly better bargain for Black than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the East Indian Defense?
3.c4 — played in 511 of the master games on this line, which leads into King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation.
Which grandmasters play the East Indian Defense?
On the White side Smyslov, Vassily (55), Aronian,L (51), Carlsen,M (50); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (168), Firouzja,Alireza (90), Nepomniachtchi,I (88).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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