- ECO code
- A50
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4
- Family
- Indian Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 22,243
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1881–2026
Indian Defense: Normal Variation is the opening filed under ECO code A50, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4. It belongs to the Indian Defense family and is known as the Normal Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 22,243 games on this line — the 5th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1881 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 7,452 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 32% of those games, 43% end in a draw, and Black wins 25%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 3 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 8 points.
From this position the most popular move is 2...e6, played in 14,106 games, followed by 2...g6 (6,337) and 2...c5 (880). After 2...e6 White scores 31% and Black 24%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Mamedyarov,S (1,070 games); on the Black side, Carlsen,M (650).
24 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian; Indian Defense: West Indian Defense; Nimzo-Indian Defense.
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 32% (7,190)
- Draws 43% (9,466)
- Black 25% (5,587)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2...e6 | 14,106 | 31/45/24 | — |
| 2...g6 | 6,337 | 34/40/26 | Indian Defense: West Indian Defense |
| 2...c5 | 880 | 41/28/31 | Benoni Defense |
| 2...d6 | 372 | 40/30/30 | Old Indian Defense |
| 2...c6 | 170 | 39/37/24 | — |
| 2...b6 | 159 | 33/23/44 | — |
| 2...e5 | 102 | 54/25/21 | — |
| 2...Nc6 | 92 | 30/11/59 | — |
Variations from this position
- Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian · 2...e6 3.Nf3 · 7,325 games
- Indian Defense: West Indian Defense · 2...g6 · 6,337 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense · 2...e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 · 4,729 games
- King's Indian Defense · 2...g6 3.Nc3 · 4,545 games
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation · 2...e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 · 2,814 games
- Grünfeld Defense · 2...g6 3.Nc3 d5 · 2,262 games
- Queen's Indian Defense · 2...e6 3.Nf3 b6 · 2,185 games
- King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 2...g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 · 2,024 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System · 2...e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 · 1,893 games
- King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 2...g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 · 1,879 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation · 2...e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 · 1,555 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation · 2...e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 · 1,453 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 2...e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O · 1,218 games
- Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation · 2...g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 · 1,163 games
- Catalan Opening · 2...e6 3.g3 · 991 games
- Benoni Defense · 2...c5 · 880 games
- King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Immediate Fianchetto · 2...g6 3.g3 · 870 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation · 2...e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 · 842 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 2...e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 · 742 games
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense · 2...e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 · 707 games
- Bogo-Indian Defense · 2...e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ · 704 games
- Grünfeld Defense: Three Knights Variation · 2...g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 · 678 games
- Grünfeld Defense: Three Knights Variation · 2...g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 · 678 games
- King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Rare Defenses · 2...g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 · 636 games
How the position is reached
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 · 45,810 games
- Indian Defense · 1.d4 Nf6 · 29,631 games
Played most often by
As White
- Mamedyarov,S 1,070
- Grischuk,A 620
- Carlsen,M 572
As Black
- Carlsen,M 650
- Vachier Lagrave,M 607
- Nakamura,Hi 604
Games per decade
- 1880s 1
- 1890s 3
- 1900s 11
- 1910s 16
- 1920s 306
- 1930s 427
- 1940s 319
- 1950s 880
- 1960s 913
- 1970s 647
- 1980s 1,191
- 1990s 2,020
- 2000s 2,899
- 2010s 5,158
- 2020s 7,452
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Klukin,Kirill | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 13th Jan 2026 |
| Caruana,F | Durarbayli,Vasif | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Naroditsky Mem Blitz 2026 |
| Gukesh,D | Keymer,Vincent | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 14th Norway Chess 2026 |
| Praggnanandhaa,R | Vachier Lagrave,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super ROM Classic |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Grischuk,A | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Final |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Carlsen,M | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team 5-8th |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Indian Defense: Normal Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code A50, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4. It belongs to the Indian Defense family.
Is the Indian Defense: Normal Variation good for White or for Black?
In 22,243 master games on this line White wins 32%, 43% are drawn and Black wins 25%. 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: Normal Variation?
2...e6 — played in 14,106 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Indian Defense: Normal Variation?
On the White side Mamedyarov,S (1,070), Grischuk,A (620), Carlsen,M (572); on the Black side Carlsen,M (650), Vachier Lagrave,M (607), Nakamura,Hi (604).
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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