- ECO code
- E10
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3
- Family
- Indian Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 7,325
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1920–2026
Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian is the opening filed under ECO code E10, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3. It belongs to the Indian Defense family and is known as the Anti-Nimzo-Indian; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 7,325 games on this line — the 17th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1920 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 2,756 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 29% of those games, 49% 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. Draws are more common here than usual, by 14 points.
From this position the most popular move is 3...d5, played in 4,084 games, followed by 3...b6 (2,185) and 3...Bb4+ (704). After 3...d5 White scores 28% and Black 22%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Mamedyarov,S (340 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (289).
16 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation; Queen's Indian Defense; Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation.
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 29% (2,138)
- Draws 49% (3,544)
- Black 22% (1,643)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3...d5 | 4,084 | 28/50/22 | — |
| 3...b6 | 2,185 | 29/50/21 | Queen's Indian Defense |
| 3...Bb4+ | 704 | 34/42/24 | Bogo-Indian Defense |
| 3...c5 | 290 | 34/41/25 | — |
| 3...h6 | 20 | 30/25/45 | — |
| 3...Nc6 | 20 | 40/10/50 | — |
| 3...a6 | 15 | 27/53/20 | — |
| 3...c6 | 4 | 50/25/25 | — |
Variations from this position
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation · 3...d5 4.Nc3 · 2,814 games
- Queen's Indian Defense · 3...b6 · 2,185 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation · 3...b6 4.g3 · 1,453 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation · 3...b6 4.g3 Ba6 · 842 games
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense · 3...d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 · 707 games
- Bogo-Indian Defense · 3...Bb4+ · 704 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Traditional Line · 3...b6 4.g3 Bb7 · 515 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation, Quiet Line · 3...b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 · 486 games
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack · 3...d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 · 448 games
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense · 3...d5 4.Nc3 c5 · 389 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Traditional Variation · 3...b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 · 370 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Petrosian Variation · 3...b6 4.a3 · 351 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation · 3...b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ · 344 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo Line · 3...b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 · 334 games
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense · 3...d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 · 309 games
- Bogo-Indian Defense: Grünfeld Variation · 3...Bb4+ 4.Nbd2 · 301 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: Normal Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 · 22,243 games
Played most often by
As White
- Mamedyarov,S 340
- Giri,A 258
- Carlsen,M 247
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 289
- Aronian,L 263
- Carlsen,M 261
Games per decade
- 1920s 53
- 1930s 82
- 1940s 41
- 1950s 96
- 1960s 199
- 1970s 177
- 1980s 472
- 1990s 594
- 2000s 1,073
- 2010s 1,782
- 2020s 2,756
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Martirosyan,Haik M. | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 14th Apr 2026 |
| Sindarov,Javokhir | Giri,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super ROM Classic |
| Keymer,Vincent | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 6th Jan 2026 |
| Nihal,Sarin | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 1-0 | 2026 | Chess.com Open Loser Playoffs |
| So,W | Deac,Bogdan-Daniel | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super ROM Classic |
| Firouzja,Alireza | Gukesh,D | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super Rapid Poland |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian?
It is the opening with ECO code E10, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3. It belongs to the Indian Defense family.
Is the Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian good for White or for Black?
In 7,325 master games on this line White wins 29%, 49% 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 Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian?
3...d5 — played in 4,084 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian?
On the White side Mamedyarov,S (340), Giri,A (258), Carlsen,M (247); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (289), Aronian,L (263), Carlsen,M (261).
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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