Queen's Indian Defense

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This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

Queen's Indian Defense
Moves	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6
ECO	E12-E19
Parent	Indian Defense
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The Queen's Indian Defense^[1] is a chess opening defined by the moves

1. d4 Nf6

2. c4 e6

3. Nf3 b6

Since White's third move 3.Nf3, a move commonly played to avoid the Nimzo-Indian Defense, does not threaten to occupy the center with 4.e4, Black has the option of playing 3...b6. Alternatively Black could play 3...Bb4+ (the Bogo-Indian Defense), 3...d5 (the Queen's Gambit) or 3...c5 (which usually leads to the Benoni Defense).

The play in the Queen's Indian is similar to that of the Nimzo-Indian. The opening is considered a hypermodern one, since Black does not strive to occupy the center with his pawns immediately. Instead he intends to fianchetto his queen's bishop and put pressure on the e4-square in order to prevent White from occupying that square. With the White center restrained Black intends to attack it. As in most other hypermodern openings, White will attempt to solidify his center, prove that it is strong, not weak, and use his advantage in space to crush Black.

[edit] Variations

White's most common responses to the Queen's Indian include the following moves:

• 4.g3 prepares to counter Black's fianchetto with a fianchetto of White's king's bishop, contesting the light-squared diagonal. Experts on this variation include Anatoly Karpov and Jan Timman.
• 4.a3, the Petrosian Variation, prepares 5.Nc3 without being harassed by ...Bb4 pinning the knight. See (Gurevich, 1992) for an extensive analysis. This variation was often used by Garry Kasparov early in his career.
• 4.Nc3 brings out the knight but allows 4...Bb4 with a transposition to the Nimzo-Indian.
• 4.e3, preparing to develop the king's bishop and castle kingside.
• 4.Bf4 is the Miles Variation, which simply develops the bishop to a good square.

[edit] ECO codes

The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings classifies the Queen's Indian with the codes E12 to E19.

[edit] References