- ECO code
- A17
- Moves
- 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6
- Family
- English Opening
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 584
- Average game length
- 42 moves
- Years covered
- 1902–2026
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Hedgehog System is the opening filed under ECO code A17, reached after 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6. It belongs to the English Opening family and is known as the Anglo-Indian Defense, Hedgehog System; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 584 games on this line — the 188th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1902 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 1970s, with 124 games. An average game here lasts 42 moves.
White wins 42% of those games, 42% end in a draw, and Black wins 16%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 12 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 7 points.
From this position the most popular move is 3.Nf3, played in 282 games, followed by 3.e4 (196) and 3.d4 (102). After 3.Nf3 White scores 41% and Black 15%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Kortschnoj, Viktor (78 games); on the Black side, Aronian,L (32).
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Results in master games
- White 42% (249)
- Draws 42% (243)
- Black 16% (92)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.Nf3 | 282 | 41/44/15 | — |
| 3.e4 | 196 | 45/38/17 | — |
| 3.d4 | 102 | 43/43/14 | — |
| 3.g3 | 3 | 0/0/100 | — |
| 3.b3 | 1 | 0/100/0 | — |
How the position is reached
- English Opening · 1.c4 · 10,834 games
- English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense · 1.c4 Nf6 · 3,366 games
- English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation · 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 · 2,223 games
Played most often by
As White
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 78
- Petrosian, Tigran V 43
- Botvinnik, Mikhail 20
As Black
- Aronian,L 32
- Nakamura,Hi 27
- Tal, Mihail 27
Games per decade
- 1900s 1
- 1920s 1
- 1930s 11
- 1940s 6
- 1950s 60
- 1960s 92
- 1970s 124
- 1980s 36
- 1990s 20
- 2000s 25
- 2010s 120
- 2020s 88
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boruchovsky,A | Ivanchuk,V | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 26th ch-EUR Indiv 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Jumabayev,R | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Feb 2026 |
| Mamedyarov,S | Agibileg,Uurtsaikh | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Pool D |
| Mamedyarov,S | Ibrahimli,Murad | 1-0 | 2026 | 80th ch-AZE 2026 |
| So,W | Ahmadzada,Ahmad | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Rakhmanov,Ale | Aronian,L | 0-1 | 2025 | Titled Tue 7th Oct 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Hedgehog System?
It is the opening with ECO code A17, reached after 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6. It belongs to the English Opening family.
Is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Hedgehog System good for White or for Black?
In 584 master games on this line White wins 42%, 42% are drawn and Black wins 16%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Hedgehog System?
3.Nf3 — played in 282 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Hedgehog System?
On the White side Kortschnoj, Viktor (78), Petrosian, Tigran V (43), Botvinnik, Mikhail (20); on the Black side Aronian,L (32), Nakamura,Hi (27), Tal, Mihail (27).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
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