- ECO code
- E17
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7
- Family
- Queen's Indian Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 370
- Average game length
- 40 moves
- Years covered
- 1923–2026
Queen's Indian Defense: Traditional Variation is the opening filed under ECO code E17, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7. It belongs to the Queen's Indian Defense family and is known as the Traditional Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 370 games on this line — the 263rd 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 2010s, with 81 games. An average game here lasts 40 moves.
White wins 26% of those games, 56% end in a draw, and Black wins 18%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 10 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 21 points.
From this position the most popular move is 6.O-O, played in 276 games, followed by 6.Nc3 (92) and 6.d5 (1). After 6.O-O White scores 22% and Black 16%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Karpov, Anatoly (20 games); on the Black side, Karpov, Anatoly (25).
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Results in master games
- White 26% (96)
- Draws 56% (209)
- Black 18% (65)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.O-O | 276 | 22/62/16 | — |
| 6.Nc3 | 92 | 37/43/20 | — |
| 6.d5 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
| 6.Qc2 | 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
- 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, Traditional Line · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 · 515 games
Played most often by
As White
- Karpov, Anatoly 20
- Aronian,L 16
- Giri,A 13
As Black
- Karpov, Anatoly 25
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 20
- Abdusattorov,Nodirbek 18
Games per decade
- 1920s 5
- 1930s 13
- 1940s 16
- 1950s 18
- 1960s 32
- 1970s 37
- 1980s 31
- 1990s 29
- 2000s 59
- 2010s 81
- 2020s 49
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nihal,Sarin | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 1-0 | 2026 | Chess.com Open Loser Playoffs |
| Nakamura,Hi | Mitra,Roman | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 30th Jun 2026 |
| Ding Liren | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Final |
| Ding Liren | Tsaruk,Maksim | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 8th SCO Int Team Final |
| Shirov,A | Pultinevicius,Paulius | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Coop Saaremaa Rapid 2026 |
| Giri,A | Keymer,Vincent | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super Rapid Croatia |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Queen's Indian Defense: Traditional Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code E17, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7. It belongs to the Queen's Indian Defense family.
Is the Queen's Indian Defense: Traditional Variation good for White or for Black?
In 370 master games on this line White wins 26%, 56% are drawn and Black wins 18%. 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: Traditional Variation?
6.O-O — played in 276 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Queen's Indian Defense: Traditional Variation?
On the White side Karpov, Anatoly (20), Aronian,L (16), Giri,A (13); on the Black side Karpov, Anatoly (25), Kortschnoj, Viktor (20), Abdusattorov,Nodirbek (18).
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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