- ECO code
- E15
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7
- Family
- Queen's Indian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 334
- Average game length
- 43 moves
- Years covered
- 1977–2026
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo Line is the opening filed under ECO code E15, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7. It belongs to the Queen's Indian Defense family and is known as the Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo Line; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 334 games on this line — the 285th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1977 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2000s, with 151 games. An average game here lasts 43 moves.
White wins 27% of those games, 54% end in a draw, and Black wins 19%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 9 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 19 points.
From this position the most popular move is 7.Bg2, played in 240 games, followed by 7.Nc3 (94). After 7.Bg2 White scores 23% and Black 19%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Karpov, Anatoly (31 games); on the Black side, Karjakin,Sergey (40).
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Results in master games
- White 27% (91)
- Draws 54% (181)
- Black 19% (62)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.Bg2 | 240 | 23/58/19 | — |
| 7.Nc3 | 94 | 37/45/18 | — |
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
- Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 · 7,325 games
- Queen's Indian Defense · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 · 2,185 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 · 1,453 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 · 842 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation, Quiet Line · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 · 486 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ · 344 games
Played most often by
As White
- Karpov, Anatoly 31
- Topalov,V 23
- Kramnik,V 22
As Black
- Karjakin,Sergey 40
- Karpov, Anatoly 27
- Leko,P 26
Games per decade
- 1970s 1
- 1980s 28
- 1990s 48
- 2000s 151
- 2010s 65
- 2020s 41
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | Masruri,R | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 19th May 2026 |
| Gunina,V | Karjakin,Sergey | 0-1 | 2026 | Chess Stars 6.0 Blitz |
| Wagner,De | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 9th Jun 2026 |
| Urkedal,F | Giri,A | 0-1 | 2025 | World Rapid 2025 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Zhigalko,S | 1-0 | 2025 | Titled Tue 28th Oct 2025 |
| Xu,Yinglun | Ding Liren | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | 15th Nat PRC RR Men |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo Line?
It is the opening with ECO code E15, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7. It belongs to the Queen's Indian Defense family.
Is the Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo Line good for White or for Black?
In 334 master games on this line White wins 27%, 54% are drawn and Black wins 19%. 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 Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo Line?
7.Bg2 — played in 240 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo Line?
On the White side Karpov, Anatoly (31), Topalov,V (23), Kramnik,V (22); on the Black side Karjakin,Sergey (40), Karpov, Anatoly (27), Leko,P (26).
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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