- ECO code
- A53
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6
- Family
- Old Indian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 372
- Average game length
- 42 moves
- Years covered
- 1906–2025
Old Indian Defense is the opening filed under ECO code A53, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6. It belongs to the Old Indian Defense family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 372 games on this line — the 261st most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1906 and the most recent from 2025. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 79 games. An average game here lasts 42 moves.
White wins 40% of those games, 30% end in a draw, and Black wins 30%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%). Draws are less common here than usual, by 5 points.
From this position the most popular move is 3.Nc3, played in 245 games, followed by 3.Nf3 (116) and 3.g3 (10). After 3.Nc3 White scores 41% and Black 27%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Petrosian, Tigran V (16 games); on the Black side, Bronstein, David I (53).
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Results in master games
- White 40% (148)
- Draws 30% (112)
- Black 30% (112)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.Nc3 | 245 | 41/32/27 | — |
| 3.Nf3 | 116 | 37/28/35 | — |
| 3.g3 | 10 | 40/20/40 | — |
| 3.f4 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
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
- Petrosian, Tigran V 16
- Bronstein, David I 13
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 13
As Black
- Bronstein, David I 53
- Larsen, Bent 19
- Caruana,F 18
Games per decade
- 1900s 9
- 1910s 7
- 1920s 18
- 1930s 3
- 1940s 37
- 1950s 62
- 1960s 28
- 1970s 15
- 1980s 36
- 1990s 37
- 2000s 13
- 2010s 28
- 2020s 79
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atakhan,Abtin | Firouzja,Alireza | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | Titled Tue 1st Apr Early |
| Iskusnyh,S | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2025 | Titled Tue 10th Jun Early |
| Smirnov,P | Giri,A | 0-1 | 2025 | Chessable Masters Play-In |
| Tabatabaei,M | Firouzja,Alireza | 0-1 | 2025 | Titled Tue 11th Mar Early |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Shimanov,A | 1-0 | 2025 | World Rapid 2025 |
| Goltseva,Ekaterina | Giri,A | 0-1 | 2025 | Titled Tue 11th Feb Early |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Old Indian Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code A53, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6. It belongs to the Old Indian Defense family.
Is the Old Indian Defense good for White or for Black?
In 372 master games on this line White wins 40%, 30% are drawn and Black wins 30%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is a slightly better bargain for Black than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Old Indian Defense?
3.Nc3 — played in 245 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Old Indian Defense?
On the White side Petrosian, Tigran V (16), Bronstein, David I (13), Kortschnoj, Viktor (13); on the Black side Bronstein, David I (53), Larsen, Bent (19), Caruana,F (18).
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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