Indian Defense
ECO A45, E00 · 1. d4 Nf6
Indian Defense is the name for 1.d4 Nf6 and the lines that do not reach a more specific system. The knight move controls e4 and keeps Black flexible between many defenses, from the King's Indian to the Nimzo-Indian.
Plans for White
White usually plays 2.c4 for maximum central control, or 2.Nf3 to keep flexible, or system moves such as Bf4 or Bg5. Each choice limits which Indian defenses Black can play.
Plans for Black
Black chooses among the King's Indian, Nimzo-Indian, Queen's Indian, Grünfeld, Benoni, Budapest and other defenses, depending on taste and White's second move.
Typical pawn structures
Varies with the chosen defense: closed KID centers, Nimzo doubled c-pawns, Benoni majorities and more.
Who it suits
Everyone who answers 1.d4 with a knight; it is the starting point for most modern defenses and the best place to learn how they relate to each other.
Common traps
The Budapest Gambit (2.c4 e5) is the trickiest side line, with the Kieninger trap ...Bb4+, ...Qe7 and ...Nd3# against careless play.
Variations
- Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5
- Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit Accepted — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5
- Indian Defense: Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit — 1. d4 Nf6 2. g4
- Indian Defense: Knights Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3
- Indian Defense: Omega Gambit — 1. d4 Nf6 2. e4
- Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld, Alekhine Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3
- Indian Defense: Accelerated London System — 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4
- Indian Defense: Normal Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4
- Indian Defense: Pawn Push Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. d5
- Indian Defense: Tartakower Attack — 1. d4 Nf6 2. g3
- Indian Defense: Czech-Indian — 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c6
- Indian Defense: Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit Accepted — 1. d4 Nf6 2. g4 Nxg4
- Indian Defense: Lazard Gambit — 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nd2 e5
- Indian Defense: Maddigan Gambit — 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5
- Indian Defense: Medusa Gambit — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g5
- Indian Defense: Polish Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 b5
- Indian Defense: Pyrenees Gambit — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 b5
- Indian Defense: Reversed Chigorin Defense — 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 c5
- Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian — 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5
- Indian Defense: Wade-Tartakower Defense — 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d6
- Indian Defense: West Indian Defense — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6
- Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld, Advance Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. d5
- Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld, Basman-Williams Attack — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. h4
- Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3
- Indian Defense: Devin Gambit — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g4
- Indian Defense: Gedult Attack — 1. d4 Nf6 2. f3 d5 3. g4
- Indian Defense: London System — 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bf4
- Indian Defense: Paleface Attack, Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Deferred — 1. d4 Nf6 2. f3 d5 3. e4
- Indian Defense: Przepiorka Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3
- Indian Defense: Seirawan Attack — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Bg5
- Indian Defense: Anti-Grünfeld, Adorjan Gambit — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. d5 b5
- Indian Defense: Döry Indian — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Ne4
- Indian Defense: Dzindzi-Indian Defense — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 a6
- Indian Defense: Pseudo-Benko — 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. d5 b5
- Indian Defense: Schnepper Gambit — 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 b6 3. c3 e5
- Indian Defense: Colle System, King's Indian Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. e3 Bg7 4. Bd3 d6