- ECO code
- A45
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6
- Family
- Indian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 29,631
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1881–2026
Indian Defense is the opening filed under ECO code A45, reached after 1.d4 Nf6. It belongs to the Indian Defense family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 29,631 games on this line — the 3rd 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 10,943 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 33% of those games, 40% end in a draw, and Black wins 27%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%). Draws are more common here than usual, by 5 points.
From this position the most popular move is 2.c4, played in 22,243 games, followed by 2.Nf3 (5,074) and 2.Bg5 (1,065). 2.c4 leads into Indian Defense: Normal Variation. After 2.c4 White scores 32% and Black 25%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Mamedyarov,S (1,302 games); on the Black side, Vachier Lagrave,M (887).
24 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Indian Defense: Normal Variation; Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian; Indian Defense: West 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 33% (9,854)
- Draws 40% (11,745)
- Black 27% (8,032)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.c4 | 22,243 | 32/43/25 | Indian Defense: Normal Variation |
| 2.Nf3 | 5,074 | 32/35/33 | Indian Defense: Knights Variation |
| 2.Bg5 | 1,065 | 44/24/32 | Trompowsky Attack |
| 2.Bf4 | 647 | 46/23/31 | Indian Defense: Accelerated London System |
| 2.Nc3 | 477 | 45/19/36 | — |
| 2.g3 | 55 | 35/25/40 | — |
| 2.c3 | 29 | 24/34/42 | — |
| 2.e3 | 20 | 30/25/45 | — |
Variations from this position
- Normal Variation · 2.c4 · 22,243 games
- Anti-Nimzo-Indian · 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 · 7,325 games
- West Indian Defense · 2.c4 g6 · 6,337 games
- Knights Variation · 2.Nf3 · 5,074 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense · 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 · 4,729 games
- King's Indian Defense · 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 · 4,545 games
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation · 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 · 2,814 games
- Grünfeld Defense · 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 · 2,262 games
- Queen's Indian Defense · 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 · 2,185 games
- King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 · 2,024 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Rubinstein System · 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 · 1,893 games
- King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 · 1,879 games
- East Indian Defense · 2.Nf3 g6 · 1,714 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation · 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 · 1,555 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation · 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 · 1,453 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O · 1,218 games
- Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation · 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 · 1,163 games
- Trompowsky Attack · 2.Bg5 · 1,065 games
- Catalan Opening · 2.c4 e6 3.g3 · 991 games
- Benoni Defense · 2.c4 c5 · 880 games
- King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Immediate Fianchetto · 2.c4 g6 3.g3 · 870 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation · 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 · 842 games
- Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 · 742 games
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense · 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 · 707 games
How the position is reached
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 · 45,810 games
Played most often by
As White
- Mamedyarov,S 1,302
- Carlsen,M 840
- Grischuk,A 821
As Black
- Vachier Lagrave,M 887
- Carlsen,M 817
- Nakamura,Hi 807
Games per decade
- 1880s 1
- 1890s 6
- 1900s 22
- 1910s 62
- 1920s 602
- 1930s 552
- 1940s 378
- 1950s 994
- 1960s 1,119
- 1970s 808
- 1980s 1,542
- 1990s 2,573
- 2000s 3,459
- 2010s 6,570
- 2020s 10,943
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 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Kollars,Dmitrij | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 22nd Jan 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 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Indian Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code A45, reached after 1.d4 Nf6. It belongs to the Indian Defense family.
Is the Indian Defense good for White or for Black?
In 29,631 master games on this line White wins 33%, 40% are drawn and Black wins 27%. 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?
2.c4 — played in 22,243 of the master games on this line, which leads into Indian Defense: Normal Variation.
Which grandmasters play the Indian Defense?
On the White side Mamedyarov,S (1,302), Carlsen,M (840), Grischuk,A (821); on the Black side Vachier Lagrave,M (887), Carlsen,M (817), Nakamura,Hi (807).
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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