Queen's Indian Defense E12
E — Indian defenses · Family: Queen's Indian Defense
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6
The Queen's Indian Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6) is a hypermodern, flexible defense: the ...b6 and ...Bb7 development presses d4 from a distance and keeps the structure fluid. It pairs naturally with the Nimzo-Indian (3.Nc3 Bb4), together forming the classic e6-based repertoire against 1.d4.
White's main tries are 4.a3 (taking the b4-square from the bishop), 4.Nc3 and 4.g3 with a fianchetto — each leading to quiet, strategic battles where Black aims for ...d5 or ...c5 equality and White for a small space edge. Typical middlegame themes are the e4/e5 squares, pressure along the long diagonal and pawn-break timing. The Queen's Indian rewards understanding over memorization, which is why positional players from Petrosian to Carlsen kept it handy.
Play through the moves on the board above, explore the variations tree below — click any move of any branch — then test yourself against the engine from the position you picked.
- Position after 6 half-moves — White to move.
- Material is balanced.
- Family “Queen's Indian Defense” contains 68 recorded variation(s) here.
Variations tree of the Queen's Indian Defense family
Click any move to jump to that position; switch branches at any point with the alternative moves. Test your knowledge plays the shown position against the engine.