- ECO code
- A15
- Moves
- 1.c4 Nf6
- Family
- English Opening
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 3,366
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1899–2026
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense is the opening filed under ECO code A15, reached after 1.c4 Nf6. It belongs to the English Opening family and is known as the Anglo-Indian Defense; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 3,366 games on this line — the 41st most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1899 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 1,076 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 39% of those games, 39% end in a draw, and Black wins 22%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 6 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 2.Nc3, played in 2,223 games, followed by 2.Nf3 (591) and 2.g3 (361). 2.Nc3 leads into English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation. After 2.Nc3 White scores 41% and Black 21%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Kortschnoj, Viktor (201 games); on the Black side, Aronian,L (138).
3 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation; English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, King's Knight Variation; English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Hedgehog System.
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 39% (1,332)
- Draws 39% (1,309)
- Black 22% (725)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.Nc3 | 2,223 | 41/38/21 | English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation |
| 2.Nf3 | 591 | 33/46/21 | English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, King's Knight Variation |
| 2.g3 | 361 | 38/32/30 | — |
| 2.d4 | 173 | 43/44/13 | — |
| 2.b3 | 10 | 50/30/20 | — |
| 2.e3 | 3 | 33/0/67 | — |
| 2.a3 | 2 | 50/0/50 | — |
| 2.d3 | 2 | 50/50/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Queen's Knight Variation · 2.Nc3 · 2,223 games
- King's Knight Variation · 2.Nf3 · 591 games
- Hedgehog System · 2.Nc3 e6 · 584 games
How the position is reached
- English Opening · 1.c4 · 10,834 games
Played most often by
As White
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 201
- Petrosian, Tigran V 125
- Smyslov, Vassily 119
As Black
- Aronian,L 138
- Giri,A 87
- Nakamura,Hi 82
Games per decade
- 1890s 1
- 1900s 1
- 1910s 3
- 1920s 36
- 1930s 33
- 1940s 42
- 1950s 249
- 1960s 256
- 1970s 349
- 1980s 193
- 1990s 185
- 2000s 266
- 2010s 676
- 2020s 1,076
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nakamura,Hi | Dau Khuong Duy | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 26th May 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Nitish,Belurkar | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 19th Feb 2026 |
| Vachier Lagrave,M | Drygalov,Andrey | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 3rd Mar 2026 |
| Lazavik,Denis | Nakamura,Hi | 1-0 | 2026 | SpeedChess Final 2025 |
| Giri,A | Hong,Andrew | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Rapid Team |
| Keymer,Vincent | Praggnanandhaa,R | 1-0 | 2026 | GCT Super Blitz Croatia |
Frequently asked questions
What is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code A15, reached after 1.c4 Nf6. It belongs to the English Opening family.
Is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense good for White or for Black?
In 3,366 master games on this line White wins 39%, 39% are drawn and Black wins 22%. 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?
2.Nc3 — played in 2,223 of the master games on this line, which leads into English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation.
Which grandmasters play the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense?
On the White side Kortschnoj, Viktor (201), Petrosian, Tigran V (125), Smyslov, Vassily (119); on the Black side Aronian,L (138), Giri,A (87), Nakamura,Hi (82).
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
Play this opening against the Katuranga bot, then review the game — the engine marks every brilliant move, mistake and blunder.