Queen's Indian Defense

Overview

The Queen's Indian Defense (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6) is a solid hypermodern opening where Black fianchettoes the queen's bishop to control the e4-square. It is Black's most common alternative to the Nimzo-Indian when White avoids 3. Nc3.

Position after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6

Key Ideas

• Black fianchettoes the queen's bishop to b7, establishing powerful control over e4 and the long diagonal.
• The battle revolves around whether White can achieve e4 and whether Black can maintain control of that square.
• White's main plan involves g3 and Bg2, contesting the long diagonal.
• Black aims for a harmonious setup with ...Be7, ...O-O, ...d5, or a more flexible ...Bb4+ approach.

Main Variations

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History

The Queen's Indian was developed in the 1920s and has been a favorite of positional masters. Karpov, Kramnik, and Anand have all relied on it extensively in world championship play.