- ECO code
- E15
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3
- Family
- Queen's Indian Defense
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 1,453
- Average game length
- 42 moves
- Years covered
- 1923–2026
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation is the opening filed under ECO code E15, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3. It belongs to the Queen's Indian Defense family and is known as the Fianchetto Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,453 games on this line — the 82nd most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1923 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2000s, with 412 games. An average game here lasts 42 moves.
White wins 29% of those games, 52% 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 17 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4...Ba6, played in 842 games, followed by 4...Bb7 (515) and 4...Bb4+ (90). 4...Ba6 leads into Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation. After 4...Ba6 White scores 30% and Black 20%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Karpov, Anatoly (87 games); on the Black side, Karpov, Anatoly (84).
6 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation; Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Traditional Line; Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation, Quiet Line.
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Results in master games
- White 29% (422)
- Draws 52% (748)
- Black 19% (283)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4...Ba6 | 842 | 30/50/20 | Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation |
| 4...Bb7 | 515 | 28/53/19 | Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Traditional Line |
| 4...Bb4+ | 90 | 28/56/16 | — |
| 4...Be7 | 4 | 50/50/0 | — |
| 4...c6 | 2 | 50/50/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Nimzowitsch Variation · 4...Ba6 · 842 games
- Traditional Line · 4...Bb7 · 515 games
- Nimzowitsch Variation, Quiet Line · 4...Ba6 5.b3 · 486 games
- Queen's Indian Defense: Traditional Variation · 4...Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 · 370 games
- Check Variation · 4...Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ · 344 games
- Check Variation, Intermezzo Line · 4...Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 · 334 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
- 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
Played most often by
As White
- Karpov, Anatoly 87
- Aronian,L 53
- Mamedyarov,S 46
As Black
- Karpov, Anatoly 84
- Karjakin,Sergey 71
- Carlsen,M 61
Games per decade
- 1920s 18
- 1930s 32
- 1940s 19
- 1950s 26
- 1960s 53
- 1970s 68
- 1980s 117
- 1990s 186
- 2000s 412
- 2010s 320
- 2020s 202
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nihal,Sarin | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 1-0 | 2026 | Chess.com Open Loser Playoffs |
| Praggnanandhaa,R | Wei Yi | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Tata Steel India Blitz |
| Artemiev,V | Nepomniachtchi,I | 1-0 | 2026 | 75th Ann. Karpov 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Mitra,Roman | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 30th Jun 2026 |
| So,W | Aronian,L | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | American Cup Blitz 2026 |
| Ding Liren | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Final |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code E15, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3. It belongs to the Queen's Indian Defense family.
Is the Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation good for White or for Black?
In 1,453 master games on this line White wins 29%, 52% 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?
4...Ba6 — played in 842 of the master games on this line, which leads into Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation.
Which grandmasters play the Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation?
On the White side Karpov, Anatoly (87), Aronian,L (53), Mamedyarov,S (46); on the Black side Karpov, Anatoly (84), Karjakin,Sergey (71), Carlsen,M (61).
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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