Main lineE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6
...b6 and ...Bb7 control e4 from the flank: a sound, flexible sister of the Nimzo where piece pressure replaces pawn contact.
E12-E19
Queen's Indian Defense
53 named lines in this family, ECO E12-E19. Every one of them opens 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6, so the notes on those moves are written once, just below, instead of once per line. Under each line you get its moves and the sentences it adds that this page has not already printed. A line's own page carries up to its first 4 per-move notes in full.
The moves every line here plays
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6
- 1. d4 Stakes a claim in the centre, controlling e5, and frees the bishop and queen.
- 1... Nf6 Develops the knight to f6, eyeing d5 and e4.
- 2. c4 Fights for d5 from the flank - contesting the centre without committing a centre pawn.
- 2... e6 Supports the centre, adding control of d5.
Kasparov Variation, through 4. Nc3E12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3
Miles VariationE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Bf4
Petrosian VariationE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3
Kasparov-Petrosian VariationE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3
Black's queenside bishop takes the long diagonal.
Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Andersson VariationE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 Ne4
Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Hedgehog VariationE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 g6
Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Main LineE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5
Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Marco DefenseE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 Be7
Petrosian Variation, Farago DefenseE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Ba6 5. Qc2 Bb7
Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Classical VariationE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 exd5
An early pawn trade leaves the c-file as White's avenue and the e-file as Black's - both sides get real winning chances down their own file.
Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Modern VariationE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5
An early pawn trade leaves the c-file as White's avenue and the d-file as Black's - both sides get real winning chances down their own file.
Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Kasparov AttackE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Qc2
Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Petrosian AttackE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. e3
Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Polovodin GambitE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3 Bb7 5. a3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. e4
Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Rashkovsky AttackE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Qa4+
Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Romanishin AttackE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Bd2
Kasparov Variation, Botvinnik AttackE12
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3 Bb7 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 g5 7. Bg3 Nh5
Kasparov Variation, after 4... Bb4E13
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 Bb7
White's knight on c3 is pinned against the king.
Spassky System, through 4. e3E14
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3
Spassky System, after 4... Bb7, through 4... Bb7E14
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3 Bb7
Spassky System, after 4... Bb7, through 5. Bd3E14
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Bd3
Spassky System, after 4... Bb7, through 5... d5E14
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Bd3 d5
Spassky System, after 4... Bb7, through 5... c5E14
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Bd3 c5
Averbakh VariationE14
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Bd3 c5 6. O-O Be7 7. b3 O-O 8. Bb2 cxd4 9. Nxd4
An early pawn trade leaves the c-file as Black's avenue and the d-file as White's - both sides get real winning chances down their own file. White's queenside bishop takes the long diagonal and Black's queenside bishop takes the long diagonal.
Spassky System, after 4... Bb7, through 9... Nxd5E14
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Bd3 c5 6. Nc3 cxd4 7. exd4 Be7 8. O-O d5 9. cxd5 Nxd5
An early pawn trade leaves the d-file as Black's avenue and the e-file as White's - both sides get real winning chances down their own file.
Fianchetto VariationE15
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3
Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch VariationE15
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6
Fianchetto Variation, Traditional LineE15
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7
Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation, Nimzowitsch AttackE15
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. Qa4
Black's pawn on d7 is pinned against the king.
Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation, Quiet LineE15
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3
Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation, Timman's LineE15
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. Qb3
Fianchetto Variation, Check VariationE15
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb4+
Fianchetto Variation, Sämisch VariationE15
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 c5
White's kingside bishop takes the long diagonal and Black's queenside bishop takes the long diagonal.
Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo LineE15
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7
Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Modern LineE15
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qe7
White's bishop on d2 is pinned against the king.
Buerger VariationE15
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 c5 6. d5 exd5 7. Ng5
An early pawn trade leaves the d-file as White's avenue and the e-file as Black's - both sides get real winning chances down their own file. Black comes out ahead on material - White needs concrete play to justify it.
Fianchetto Variation, Rubinstein VariationE15
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 c5 6. d5 exd5 7. Nh4
Capablanca VariationE16
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Bb4+
Riumin VariationE16
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7
Yates VariationE16
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 a5 5. g3 b6 6. Bg2 Bb7
Traditional VariationE17
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7
Anti-Queen's Indian SystemE17
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. Nc3
Classical VariationE17
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O
Euwe VariationE17
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. b3
Fianchetto Variation, Kramnik VariationE17
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1
Opocensky VariationE17
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. Nc3 Ne4 7. Bd2
Classical Variation, Polugaevsky GambitE17
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. d5 exd5 8. Nh4
Black keeps the extra pawn; White plays for time, open lines, and initiative - the classic gambit trade.
Classical Variation, Taimanov GambitE17
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. d5 exd5 8. Nd4
Classical Variation, Traditional VariationE18
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Nc3
Classical Variation, Tiviakov DefenseE18
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Nc3 Na6
Classical Variation, Traditional Variation, Nimzowitsch LineE18
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Nc3 d5
Classical Variation, Traditional Variation, Main LineE19
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Nc3 Ne4 8. Qc2 Nxc3 9. Qxc3
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