Indian defences
Encyclopedia
Indian defences are chess opening
s characterised by the moves:
Transpositions
are important and many of the positions can be reached by several move orders. They are all to varying degrees hypermodern
defences, where Black invites White to establish an imposing presence in the centre with the plan of drawing it out, undermining it, and destroying it. Although Indian defences were championed in the 1920s by players in the hypermodern school, they were not fully accepted until Russian players showed in the late 1940s that these systems are sound for Black. Since then, Indian defences have been the most popular Black replies to 1.d4 because they offer an unbalanced game with chances for both sides.
The Indian defences are considered more ambitious and double-edged than the symmetrical reply 1...d5. In the Queen's Gambit Declined
, Black accepts a cramped, passive position with the plan of gradually equalising and obtaining counterplay. In contrast, breaking symmetry on move one leads to rapid combat in the centre, where Black can obtain counterplay without necessarily equalising first.
The usual White second move is 2.c4, grabbing a larger share of the centre and allowing the move Nc3, to prepare for moving the e-pawn to e4 without blocking the c-pawn. Black's most popular replies are
but other moves are played as detailed below.
Instead of 2.c4, White often plays 2.Nf3. Then Black may play 2...d5 for Queen's Pawn Game
(D02, see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5). This can lead to Slav Defence (D15), Queen's Gambit Declined
(D37), Queen's Pawn Game (D05), or Queen's Pawn Game (D04). Or black may play 2...e6 for Queen's Pawn Game (A46, see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6). This can lead to Queen's Gambit Declined (D37), Queen's Indian (E12), or Queen's Pawn Game (A46). Or black may play 2...g6 for King's Indian Defence
(A48, see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6). This can lead to King's Indian Defence (E60), King's Indian, Orthodox (E94), or King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4 (A49). Or black may play 2...c5 for Queen's Pawn Game (A46, see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5). This can lead to Queen's Pawn Game (E10), English, Symmetrical, Benoni Formation (A31), Queen's Pawn Game (A46), or Old Benoni (A43).
White can also play 2.Bg5, the Trompowsky Attack. Black can respond 2...Ne4 (see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4), or 2...e6 (see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 e6), among other moves. A third alternative for White is the rarer 2.Nc3. Then black may play 2...d5 for Richter-Veresov Attack
(D01, see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5). Black may also play 2...g6 (see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6).
Advocated by Nimzowitsch
as early as 1913, the Nimzo-Indian Defence
was the first of the Indian systems to gain full acceptance. It remains one of the most popular and well-respected defences to 1.d4, and White often chooses move orders designed to avoid it. Black attacks the centre with pieces and is prepared to trade a bishop for a knight to weaken White's queenside with doubled pawns
.
The King's Indian Defence
is aggressive and somewhat risky, and generally indicates that Black will not be satisfied with a draw. Although it was played occasionally as early as the late 19th century, the King's Indian was considered inferior until the 1940s when it was featured in the games of Bronstein
, Boleslavsky
, and Reshevsky
. Fischer's
favoured defence to 1.d4, its popularity faded in the mid-1970s. Kasparov's successes with the defence restored the King's Indian to prominence in the 1980s.
Ernst Grünfeld
debuted the Grünfeld Defence
in 1922. Distinguished by the move 3...d5, Grünfeld intended it as an improvement to the King's Indian which was not considered entirely satisfactory at that time. The Grünfeld has been adopted by World Champions Smyslov
, Fischer
, and Kasparov.
The Queen's Indian Defence is considered solid, safe, and perhaps somewhat drawish
. Black often chooses the Queen's Indian when White avoids the Nimzo-Indian by playing 3.Nf3 instead of 3.Nc3. Black constructs a sound position that makes no positional concessions, although sometimes it is difficult for Black to obtain good winning chances. Karpov
is a leading expert in this opening.
The Modern Benoni Defence is a risky attempt by Black to unbalance the position and gain active piece play at the cost of allowing White a pawn wedge at d5 and a central majority. Tal
popularised the defence in the 1960s by winning several brilliant games with it, and Bobby Fischer
occasionally adopted it, with good results, including a win in his 1972 World Championship match against Boris Spassky
.
Often Black adopts a slightly different move order, playing 2...e6 before 3...c5 in order to avoid the sharpest lines for White.
The Benko Gambit
is often played by strong players, and is very popular at lower levels.
Black plays to open lines on the queenside where White will be subject to considerable pressure.
If White accepts the gambit, Black's compensation is positional rather than tactical, and his initiative can last even after many piece exchanges and well into the endgame.
White often chooses instead either to decline the gambit pawn or return it.
The Bogo-Indian Defence
is a solid alternative to the Queen's Indian, into which it sometimes transposes. It is less popular than that opening, however, perhaps because many players are loath to surrender the bishop pair (particularly without doubling White's pawns), as Black often ends up doing after 4.Nbd2. The classical 4.Bd2 Qe7 is also often seen, although more recently 4...a5!? and even 4...c5!? have emerged as alternatives. Transposition to the Nimzo-Indian with 4.Nc3 is perfectly playable but rarely seen, since most players who play 3.Nf3 do so in order to avoid that opening.
The Old Indian Defence was introduced by Tarrasch
in 1902, but it is more commonly associated with Chigorin
who adopted it five years later. It is similar to the King's Indian in that both feature a ...d6 and ...e5 pawn centre, but in the Old Indian Black's king bishop is developed to e7 rather than being fianchettoed on g7. The Old Indian is solid, but Black's position is usually cramped and it lacks the dynamic possibilities found in the King's Indian.
The Black Knights' Tango
or Mexican Defence introduced by Carlos Torre
in 1925 in Baden-Baden
shares similarities with Alekhine's Defence
as Black attempts to induce a premature advance of the white pawns.
It may transpose into many other defences.
The Neo-Indian Attack
, Torre Attack
, and Trompowski Attack
are White anti-Indian variations.
Related to the Richter-Veresov Attack
, they feature an early Bg5 by White and avoid much of the detailed theory of other queen's pawn openings. Another option is the Barry Attack, popular with club players and characterised by the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 O-O 6. Be2. White usually follows up with Ne5 and h2-h4-h5, a direct attack on the Black king. The Barry Attack has also been tried out at Grandmaster level by Mark Hebden
and Julian Hodgson
.
The Blumenfeld Gambit
(or Countergambit) bears a superficial but misleading resemblance to the Benko Gambit, as Black's goals are very different.
Black gambits a wing pawn in an attempt to build a strong centre.
White can either accept the gambit or decline it to maintain a small positional advantage.
Although the Blumenfeld is playable for Black it is not very popular.
The Döry Defence is uncommon, but it was sometimes adopted by Keres
.
It will sometimes transpose into a variation of the Queen's Indian Defence but there are also independent lines.
The Accelerated Queen's Indian Defence (2...b6) is playable, although modern theory favours the Queen's Indian only after 2...e6 3 Nf3.
The Slav-Indian Defence is an obscure idea that may transpose into the King's Indian or Slav Defence.
The Budapest Gambit is rarely played in grandmaster games, but more often adopted by amateurs. Although it is a gambit
, White cannot hold on to his extra pawn without making compromises in the deployment of his pieces, so he often chooses to return the pawn and retain the initiative.
The Nadanian Attack (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 h6 3.c4 g5) is an aggressive attempt by Black to unbalance the position. The early 2...h6 and 3...g5 are designed to deal with a drawish variations such as Colle System
, London System
and Torre Attack
. The line was introduced in 2005 by Ashot Nadanian
, but has never enjoyed widespread popularity among top-flight chess players.
against John Cochrane. Philip W. Sergeant describes Moheschunder as having been as of 1848 "a Brahman
in the Mofussil—up country, as we might say—who had never been beaten at chess!" Sergeant wrote in 1934 (substituting algebraic notation for his descriptive notation):
In the following game, Moheschunder (Black) plays the Grünfeld Defence against Cochrane in 1855—some 38 years before Ernst Grünfeld
was born.
John Cochrane–Moheschunder Bannerjee, May 1855:
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. e3 Bg7 5. Nf3 0-0 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Be2 Nxc3 8. bxc3 c5 9. 0-0 cxd4 10. cxd4 Nc6 11. Bb2 Bg4 12. Rc1 Rc8 13. Ba3 Qa5 14. Qb3 Rfe8 15. Rc5 Qb6 16. Rb5 Qd8 17. Ng5 Bxe2 18. Nxf7 Na5 and White mates
in three (19.Nh6+ double check
Kh8 20.Qg8+ Rxg8 21.Nf7#
).
Another of the games between these players transposed to what would today be called the Four Pawns Attack against the King's Indian Defence
. This time Moheschunder, as Black, won after some enterprising (and perhaps dubious) sacrificial
play:
1. e4 d6 2. d4 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. f4 0-0 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Bd3? e5! 8. fxe5 dxe5 9. d5 Nxe4!? 10. Nxe4 f5 11. Neg5 e4 12. Ne6 exf3! 13. Nxd8?! fxg2 14. Rg1 Bxd1 15. Ne6 Bg4 16. Nxf8 Kxf8 17. Rxg2 Nd7 18. Bf4 Nc5 19. Kd2 Rc8 20. Kc2 Bf3 21. Rf2 Nxd3 22. Kxd3 Be4+ 23. Ke3 b5 24. cxb5 Bxd5 25. Rd2 Bc4 26. Rad1 Bf6 27. Bh6+ Kg8 28. Kf4 Re8 29. b3 Bxb5 30. Rc1 Be2! 31. Re1 Re4+ 32. Kg3 Bh4+ 0–1
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
s characterised by the moves:
- 1. d4 Nf6
Transpositions
Transposition (chess)
A transposition in chess is a sequence of moves that results in a position which may also be reached by another, more common sequence of moves. Transpositions are particularly common in opening, where a given position may be reached by different sequences of moves...
are important and many of the positions can be reached by several move orders. They are all to varying degrees hypermodern
Hypermodernism (chess)
Hypermodernism is a school of chess that emerged after World War I. It featured challenges on the chess ideologies presented by central European masters, such as on Wilhelm Steinitz’ approach to the centre. It also challenged in particular the dogmatic rules set down by Siegbert Tarrasch...
defences, where Black invites White to establish an imposing presence in the centre with the plan of drawing it out, undermining it, and destroying it. Although Indian defences were championed in the 1920s by players in the hypermodern school, they were not fully accepted until Russian players showed in the late 1940s that these systems are sound for Black. Since then, Indian defences have been the most popular Black replies to 1.d4 because they offer an unbalanced game with chances for both sides.
The Indian defences are considered more ambitious and double-edged than the symmetrical reply 1...d5. In the Queen's Gambit Declined
Queen's Gambit Declined
The Queen's Gambit Declined is a chess opening in which Black declines a pawn offered by White in the Queen's Gambit:This is known as the Orthodox Line of the Queen's Gambit Declined...
, Black accepts a cramped, passive position with the plan of gradually equalising and obtaining counterplay. In contrast, breaking symmetry on move one leads to rapid combat in the centre, where Black can obtain counterplay without necessarily equalising first.
The usual White second move is 2.c4, grabbing a larger share of the centre and allowing the move Nc3, to prepare for moving the e-pawn to e4 without blocking the c-pawn. Black's most popular replies are
- 2...e6, freeing the king's bishop and leading into the Nimzo-Indian DefenceNimzo-Indian DefenceThe Nimzo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:This hypermodern opening was developed by Grandmaster Aron Nimzowitsch who introduced it to master-level chess in the early 20th century. Unlike most Indian openings the Nimzo-Indian does not involve an immediate fianchetto,...
, Queen's Indian Defence, Bogo-Indian DefenceBogo-Indian DefenceThe Bogo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-Variations:White has three viable moves to meet the check. 4.Nc3 is a transposition to the Kasparov Variation of the Nimzo-Indian, therefore the main independent variations are 4.Bd2 and 4.Nbd2.-4...
, Modern Benoni, or regular lines of the Queen's Gambit DeclinedQueen's Gambit DeclinedThe Queen's Gambit Declined is a chess opening in which Black declines a pawn offered by White in the Queen's Gambit:This is known as the Orthodox Line of the Queen's Gambit Declined...
, - 2... g6, preparing a fianchettoFianchettoIn chess the fianchetto is a pattern of development wherein a bishop is developed to the second rank of the adjacent knight file, the knight pawn having been moved one or two squares forward....
of the king's bishop and entering the King's Indian DefenceKing's Indian DefenceThe King's Indian Defence is a common chess opening. It arises after the moves:Black intends to follow up with 3...Bg7 and 4...d6.The Grünfeld Defence arises when Black plays 3...d5 instead, and is considered a separate opening...
or Grünfeld DefenceGrünfeld DefenceThe Grünfeld Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-History:The first instance of this opening is in an 1855 game by Moheschunder Bannerjee, an Indian player who had transitioned from Indian chess rules, playing black against John Cochrane in Calcutta, in May 1855: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4...
, and - 2... c5, the Modern Benoni, with an immediate counter-punch in the centre,
but other moves are played as detailed below.
Instead of 2.c4, White often plays 2.Nf3. Then Black may play 2...d5 for Queen's Pawn Game
Queen's Pawn Game
In the most general sense the term Queen's Pawn Game can refer to any chess opening which starts with the move:It is the second most popular opening move. The name is now usually used to describe openings beginning with the moves 1.d4 d5 where White does not follow through with an early pawn...
(D02, see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5). This can lead to Slav Defence (D15), Queen's Gambit Declined
Queen's Gambit Declined
The Queen's Gambit Declined is a chess opening in which Black declines a pawn offered by White in the Queen's Gambit:This is known as the Orthodox Line of the Queen's Gambit Declined...
(D37), Queen's Pawn Game (D05), or Queen's Pawn Game (D04). Or black may play 2...e6 for Queen's Pawn Game (A46, see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6). This can lead to Queen's Gambit Declined (D37), Queen's Indian (E12), or Queen's Pawn Game (A46). Or black may play 2...g6 for King's Indian Defence
King's Indian Defence
The King's Indian Defence is a common chess opening. It arises after the moves:Black intends to follow up with 3...Bg7 and 4...d6.The Grünfeld Defence arises when Black plays 3...d5 instead, and is considered a separate opening...
(A48, see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6). This can lead to King's Indian Defence (E60), King's Indian, Orthodox (E94), or King's Indian, Fianchetto without c4 (A49). Or black may play 2...c5 for Queen's Pawn Game (A46, see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5). This can lead to Queen's Pawn Game (E10), English, Symmetrical, Benoni Formation (A31), Queen's Pawn Game (A46), or Old Benoni (A43).
White can also play 2.Bg5, the Trompowsky Attack. Black can respond 2...Ne4 (see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4), or 2...e6 (see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 e6), among other moves. A third alternative for White is the rarer 2.Nc3. Then black may play 2...d5 for Richter-Veresov Attack
Richter-Veresov Attack
The Richter–Veresov Attack is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The opening was named after the German International Master Kurt Richter and later the Soviet master Gavriil Veresov, who played it frequently for over a quarter of a century.Along with the Trompowsky Attack, Colle System,...
(D01, see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5). Black may also play 2...g6 (see 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6).
Variations
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 b6 Accelerated Queen's Indian Defence
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 Benoni Defence
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 Benko GambitBenko GambitThe Benko Gambit is a chess opening characterised by the move 3...b5 in the Benoni Defense arising after:- Origin and predecessors :The idea of sacrificing a pawn with ...b5 and ...a6 is quite old. Karel Opočenský applied the idea against, among others, Gideon Ståhlberg at Poděbrady 1936, Paul...
(or Volga Gambit) - 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c6 Slav-Indian Defence
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6 Black Knights' TangoBlack Knights' TangoThis ambitious move is playable but rarely seen. Black normally responds with 3...Ne5. Then after 4.e4 , Black struck back in the center with 4...Ng6 5.f4 e5 in the seminal game Sämisch-Torre, Moscow 1925. However, Orlov considers both Torre's fourth and fifth moves inferior...
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 Old Indian Defence
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 Bf5 Janowski Indian Defence
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 Budapest Gambit
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 Nimzo-Indian DefenceNimzo-Indian DefenceThe Nimzo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:This hypermodern opening was developed by Grandmaster Aron Nimzowitsch who introduced it to master-level chess in the early 20th century. Unlike most Indian openings the Nimzo-Indian does not involve an immediate fianchetto,...
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.d5 Modern Benoni
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ Bogo-Indian DefenceBogo-Indian DefenceThe Bogo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-Variations:White has three viable moves to meet the check. 4.Nc3 is a transposition to the Kasparov Variation of the Nimzo-Indian, therefore the main independent variations are 4.Bd2 and 4.Nbd2.-4...
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b5 Polish Defence
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 Queen's Indian Defence
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 b5 Blumenfeld GambitBlumenfeld GambitThe Blumenfeld Gambit is a chess opening characterised by the moves 3...e6 4.Nf3 b5 in the Benoni Defence arising after-Origin:The opening is named after the Russian master Benjamin Blumenfeld, and was later played by World Chess Champion Alexander Alekhine....
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Ne4 Döry Defence
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Bg5 Neo-Indian AttackNeo-Indian AttackThe Neo-Indian Attack is a chess opening defined by the opening moves1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Bg5.This opening is also known as the Seirawan attack, after top 1980s player Yasser Seirawan....
- 1.d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. a3?! Australian Attack
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 Grünfeld DefenceGrünfeld DefenceThe Grünfeld Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-History:The first instance of this opening is in an 1855 game by Moheschunder Bannerjee, an Indian player who had transitioned from Indian chess rules, playing black against John Cochrane in Calcutta, in May 1855: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4...
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 King's Indian DefenceKing's Indian DefenceThe King's Indian Defence is a common chess opening. It arises after the moves:Black intends to follow up with 3...Bg7 and 4...d6.The Grünfeld Defence arises when Black plays 3...d5 instead, and is considered a separate opening...
(KID) - 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 h6 3.c4 g5 Nadanian Attack
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 Torre AttackTorre AttackThe Torre Attack is a chess opening characterized by the moves:The opening is named after the Mexican grandmaster Carlos Torre Repetto. The variation was also employed by Savielly Tartakower, and the young Tigran Petrosian on occasion...
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 East Indian DefenceEast Indian DefenceIn chess, the East Indian Defence is an opening characterised by the move orderIf White plays an early c4, the opening will transpose into a King's Indian. It is also possible for White to support an early e4 advance, transposing into the Pirc Defence...
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4. Bf4 Bg7 5. e3 O-O 6. Be2 Barry Attack
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Trompowsky Attack
Advocated by Nimzowitsch
Aron Nimzowitsch
Aron Nimzowitsch was a Russian-born Danish unofficial chess grandmaster and a very influential chess writer...
as early as 1913, the Nimzo-Indian Defence
Nimzo-Indian Defence
The Nimzo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:This hypermodern opening was developed by Grandmaster Aron Nimzowitsch who introduced it to master-level chess in the early 20th century. Unlike most Indian openings the Nimzo-Indian does not involve an immediate fianchetto,...
was the first of the Indian systems to gain full acceptance. It remains one of the most popular and well-respected defences to 1.d4, and White often chooses move orders designed to avoid it. Black attacks the centre with pieces and is prepared to trade a bishop for a knight to weaken White's queenside with doubled pawns
Doubled pawns
In chess, doubled pawns are two pawns of the same color residing on the same file. Pawns can become doubled only when one pawn captures onto a file on which another friendly pawn resides. In the diagram, the pawns on the b-file and e-file are doubled...
.
The King's Indian Defence
King's Indian Defence
The King's Indian Defence is a common chess opening. It arises after the moves:Black intends to follow up with 3...Bg7 and 4...d6.The Grünfeld Defence arises when Black plays 3...d5 instead, and is considered a separate opening...
is aggressive and somewhat risky, and generally indicates that Black will not be satisfied with a draw. Although it was played occasionally as early as the late 19th century, the King's Indian was considered inferior until the 1940s when it was featured in the games of Bronstein
David Bronstein
David Ionovich Bronstein was a Soviet chess grandmaster, who narrowly missed becoming World Chess Champion in 1951. Bronstein was described by his peers as a creative genius and master of tactics...
, Boleslavsky
Isaac Boleslavsky
Isaac Yefremovich Boleslavsky was a Soviet–Jewish chess Grandmaster.-Early career:Boleslavsky taught himself chess at age 9...
, and Reshevsky
Samuel Reshevsky
Samuel "Sammy" Herman Reshevsky was a famous chess prodigy and later a leading American chess Grandmaster...
. Fischer's
Bobby Fischer
Robert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author...
favoured defence to 1.d4, its popularity faded in the mid-1970s. Kasparov's successes with the defence restored the King's Indian to prominence in the 1980s.
Ernst Grünfeld
Ernst Grünfeld
----Ernst Franz Grünfeld , an Austrian grandmaster and writer specializing in opening theory, was for a brief period after the First World War one of the strongest chess players in the world....
debuted the Grünfeld Defence
Grünfeld Defence
The Grünfeld Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-History:The first instance of this opening is in an 1855 game by Moheschunder Bannerjee, an Indian player who had transitioned from Indian chess rules, playing black against John Cochrane in Calcutta, in May 1855: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4...
in 1922. Distinguished by the move 3...d5, Grünfeld intended it as an improvement to the King's Indian which was not considered entirely satisfactory at that time. The Grünfeld has been adopted by World Champions Smyslov
Vasily Smyslov
Vasily Vasilyevich Smyslov was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster, and was World Chess Champion from 1957 to 1958. He was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship on eight occasions . Smyslov was twice equal first at the Soviet Championship , and his total of 17 Chess Olympiad medals won...
, Fischer
Bobby Fischer
Robert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author...
, and Kasparov.
The Queen's Indian Defence is considered solid, safe, and perhaps somewhat drawish
Draw (chess)
In chess, a draw is when a game ends in a tie. It is one of the possible outcomes of a game, along with a win for White and a win for Black . Usually, in tournaments a draw is worth a half point to each player, while a win is worth one point to the victor and none to the loser.For the most part,...
. Black often chooses the Queen's Indian when White avoids the Nimzo-Indian by playing 3.Nf3 instead of 3.Nc3. Black constructs a sound position that makes no positional concessions, although sometimes it is difficult for Black to obtain good winning chances. Karpov
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
is a leading expert in this opening.
The Modern Benoni Defence is a risky attempt by Black to unbalance the position and gain active piece play at the cost of allowing White a pawn wedge at d5 and a central majority. Tal
Mikhail Tal
Mikhail Tal was a Soviet–Latvian chess player, a Grandmaster, and the eighth World Chess Champion.Widely regarded as a creative genius, and the best attacking player of all time, he played a daring, combinatorial style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability....
popularised the defence in the 1960s by winning several brilliant games with it, and Bobby Fischer
Bobby Fischer
Robert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author...
occasionally adopted it, with good results, including a win in his 1972 World Championship match against Boris Spassky
Boris Spassky
Boris Vasilievich Spassky is a Soviet-French chess grandmaster. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from late 1969 to 1972...
.
Often Black adopts a slightly different move order, playing 2...e6 before 3...c5 in order to avoid the sharpest lines for White.
The Benko Gambit
Benko Gambit
The Benko Gambit is a chess opening characterised by the move 3...b5 in the Benoni Defense arising after:- Origin and predecessors :The idea of sacrificing a pawn with ...b5 and ...a6 is quite old. Karel Opočenský applied the idea against, among others, Gideon Ståhlberg at Poděbrady 1936, Paul...
is often played by strong players, and is very popular at lower levels.
Black plays to open lines on the queenside where White will be subject to considerable pressure.
If White accepts the gambit, Black's compensation is positional rather than tactical, and his initiative can last even after many piece exchanges and well into the endgame.
White often chooses instead either to decline the gambit pawn or return it.
The Bogo-Indian Defence
Bogo-Indian Defence
The Bogo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-Variations:White has three viable moves to meet the check. 4.Nc3 is a transposition to the Kasparov Variation of the Nimzo-Indian, therefore the main independent variations are 4.Bd2 and 4.Nbd2.-4...
is a solid alternative to the Queen's Indian, into which it sometimes transposes. It is less popular than that opening, however, perhaps because many players are loath to surrender the bishop pair (particularly without doubling White's pawns), as Black often ends up doing after 4.Nbd2. The classical 4.Bd2 Qe7 is also often seen, although more recently 4...a5!? and even 4...c5!? have emerged as alternatives. Transposition to the Nimzo-Indian with 4.Nc3 is perfectly playable but rarely seen, since most players who play 3.Nf3 do so in order to avoid that opening.
The Old Indian Defence was introduced by Tarrasch
Siegbert Tarrasch
Siegbert Tarrasch was one of the strongest chess players and most influential chess teachers of the late 19th century and early 20th century....
in 1902, but it is more commonly associated with Chigorin
Mikhail Chigorin
Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin also was a leading Russian chess player...
who adopted it five years later. It is similar to the King's Indian in that both feature a ...d6 and ...e5 pawn centre, but in the Old Indian Black's king bishop is developed to e7 rather than being fianchettoed on g7. The Old Indian is solid, but Black's position is usually cramped and it lacks the dynamic possibilities found in the King's Indian.
The Black Knights' Tango
Black Knights' Tango
This ambitious move is playable but rarely seen. Black normally responds with 3...Ne5. Then after 4.e4 , Black struck back in the center with 4...Ng6 5.f4 e5 in the seminal game Sämisch-Torre, Moscow 1925. However, Orlov considers both Torre's fourth and fifth moves inferior...
or Mexican Defence introduced by Carlos Torre
Carlos Torre Repetto
Carlos Torre Repetto was a chess grandmaster from Mexico.Torre won the Louisiana championship at New Orleans 1923. He was first at Detroit 1924, followed by Samuel Factor, Herman H. Hahlbohm, Norman Whitaker, Samuel Reshevsky, etc., and at Rochester 1924...
in 1925 in Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
shares similarities with Alekhine's Defence
Alekhine's Defence
Alekhine's Defence is a hypermodern chess opening that begins with the moves:Black tempts White's pawns forward to form a broad pawn centre, with plans to undermine and attack the White structure later in the spirit of hypermodern defence. White's imposing mass of pawns in the centre often includes...
as Black attempts to induce a premature advance of the white pawns.
It may transpose into many other defences.
The Neo-Indian Attack
Neo-Indian Attack
The Neo-Indian Attack is a chess opening defined by the opening moves1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Bg5.This opening is also known as the Seirawan attack, after top 1980s player Yasser Seirawan....
, Torre Attack
Torre Attack
The Torre Attack is a chess opening characterized by the moves:The opening is named after the Mexican grandmaster Carlos Torre Repetto. The variation was also employed by Savielly Tartakower, and the young Tigran Petrosian on occasion...
, and Trompowski Attack
Trompowski Attack
The Trompowsky Attack is a chess opening that begins with the moves:With his second move, White intends to exchange his bishop for Black's knight, inflicting doubled pawns upon Black in the process. This is not a lethal threat; Black can choose to fall in with White's plan.The Trompowsky is a...
are White anti-Indian variations.
Related to the Richter-Veresov Attack
Richter-Veresov Attack
The Richter–Veresov Attack is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The opening was named after the German International Master Kurt Richter and later the Soviet master Gavriil Veresov, who played it frequently for over a quarter of a century.Along with the Trompowsky Attack, Colle System,...
, they feature an early Bg5 by White and avoid much of the detailed theory of other queen's pawn openings. Another option is the Barry Attack, popular with club players and characterised by the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 O-O 6. Be2. White usually follows up with Ne5 and h2-h4-h5, a direct attack on the Black king. The Barry Attack has also been tried out at Grandmaster level by Mark Hebden
Mark Hebden
Mark Hebden is an English chess player who holds the title Grandmaster.Hebden was British Rapidplay Chess Champion in 1990, 1994, 2001, 2005 and 2009....
and Julian Hodgson
Julian Hodgson
Julian Michael Hodgson is an English International Grandmaster and former British Champion of chess.He first came to the notice of the chess world for his phenomenal prowess as a junior; he was London under-18 champion at 12 years of age and won the British Boys under-21 title aged just...
.
The Blumenfeld Gambit
Blumenfeld Gambit
The Blumenfeld Gambit is a chess opening characterised by the moves 3...e6 4.Nf3 b5 in the Benoni Defence arising after-Origin:The opening is named after the Russian master Benjamin Blumenfeld, and was later played by World Chess Champion Alexander Alekhine....
(or Countergambit) bears a superficial but misleading resemblance to the Benko Gambit, as Black's goals are very different.
Black gambits a wing pawn in an attempt to build a strong centre.
White can either accept the gambit or decline it to maintain a small positional advantage.
Although the Blumenfeld is playable for Black it is not very popular.
The Döry Defence is uncommon, but it was sometimes adopted by Keres
Paul Keres
Paul Keres , was an Estonian chess grandmaster, and a renowned chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s....
.
It will sometimes transpose into a variation of the Queen's Indian Defence but there are also independent lines.
The Accelerated Queen's Indian Defence (2...b6) is playable, although modern theory favours the Queen's Indian only after 2...e6 3 Nf3.
The Slav-Indian Defence is an obscure idea that may transpose into the King's Indian or Slav Defence.
The Budapest Gambit is rarely played in grandmaster games, but more often adopted by amateurs. Although it is a gambit
Gambit
A gambit is a chess opening in which a player, most often White, sacrifices material, usually a pawn, with the hope of achieving a resulting advantageous position. Some well-known examples are the King's Gambit , Queen's Gambit , and Evans Gambit...
, White cannot hold on to his extra pawn without making compromises in the deployment of his pieces, so he often chooses to return the pawn and retain the initiative.
The Nadanian Attack (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 h6 3.c4 g5) is an aggressive attempt by Black to unbalance the position. The early 2...h6 and 3...g5 are designed to deal with a drawish variations such as Colle System
Colle System
The Colle System is a chess opening strategy for White introduced by Belgian Edgard Colle in the 1920s. Also known as the Colle–Koltanowski system, played frequently and further developed by George Koltanowski, this variation of the Queen's Pawn Game is characterised by a systematic if modest...
, London System
London System
The London System is a complex of related chess openings that begin with 1.d4 followed by an early Bf4. The London System requires very little knowledge of opening theory and normally results in a very closed game...
and Torre Attack
Torre Attack
The Torre Attack is a chess opening characterized by the moves:The opening is named after the Mexican grandmaster Carlos Torre Repetto. The variation was also employed by Savielly Tartakower, and the young Tigran Petrosian on occasion...
. The line was introduced in 2005 by Ashot Nadanian
Ashot Nadanian
Ashot Nadanian is an Armenian chess International Master , chess theoretician and chess coach....
, but has never enjoyed widespread popularity among top-flight chess players.
Historical background
The earliest known use of the term "Indian Defence" was in 1884, and the name was attributed to the opening's use by the Indian player Moheschunder BannerjeeMoheschunder Bannerjee
Moheschunder Bannerjee or Mahesh Chandra Banerjee was a strong chess player from Bengal, many hundred of whose games survive through the writings of John Cochrane, who regularly played Bannerjee between 1848 and 1860, during Cochrane's tenure at the Calcutta bar...
against John Cochrane. Philip W. Sergeant describes Moheschunder as having been as of 1848 "a Brahman
Brahman
In Hinduism, Brahman is the one supreme, universal Spirit that is the origin and support of the phenomenal universe. Brahman is sometimes referred to as the Absolute or Godhead which is the Divine Ground of all being...
in the Mofussil—up country, as we might say—who had never been beaten at chess!" Sergeant wrote in 1934 (substituting algebraic notation for his descriptive notation):
The Indian Defences by g6 coupled with d6, or b6 coupled with e6, were largely taught to European players by the example of Moheschunder and other Indians, to whom the fianchetto developments were a natural legacy from their own game. The fondness for them of the present Indian champion of British chess, Mir Sultan KhanMir Sultan KhanMalik Mir Sultan Khan was the strongest chess master of his time from Asia. This manservant from British India traveled with Colonel Nawab Sir Umar Hayat Khan , his master, to Britain, where he took the chess world by storm...
, is well known. But they are now so widely popular that Dr. S. G. TartakoverSavielly TartakowerKsawery Tartakower was a leading Polish and French chess Grandmaster. He was also a leading chess journalist of the 1920s and 30s...
was able to declare, some years ago, that "to-day fianchettos are trumps." A sequel hardly to have been anticipated from the discovery of Moheschunder in the Mofussil!
In the following game, Moheschunder (Black) plays the Grünfeld Defence against Cochrane in 1855—some 38 years before Ernst Grünfeld
Ernst Grünfeld
----Ernst Franz Grünfeld , an Austrian grandmaster and writer specializing in opening theory, was for a brief period after the First World War one of the strongest chess players in the world....
was born.
John Cochrane–Moheschunder Bannerjee, May 1855:
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. e3 Bg7 5. Nf3 0-0 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Be2 Nxc3 8. bxc3 c5 9. 0-0 cxd4 10. cxd4 Nc6 11. Bb2 Bg4 12. Rc1 Rc8 13. Ba3 Qa5 14. Qb3 Rfe8 15. Rc5 Qb6 16. Rb5 Qd8 17. Ng5 Bxe2 18. Nxf7 Na5 and White mates
Checkmate
Checkmate is a situation in chess in which one player's king is threatened with capture and there is no way to meet that threat. Or, simply put, the king is under direct attack and cannot avoid being captured...
in three (19.Nh6+ double check
Double check
In chess, a double check is a check delivered by two pieces at the same time. In chess notation, it is often symbolized by "++".-Discussion:...
Kh8 20.Qg8+ Rxg8 21.Nf7#
Checkmate
Checkmate is a situation in chess in which one player's king is threatened with capture and there is no way to meet that threat. Or, simply put, the king is under direct attack and cannot avoid being captured...
).
Another of the games between these players transposed to what would today be called the Four Pawns Attack against the King's Indian Defence
King's Indian Defence
The King's Indian Defence is a common chess opening. It arises after the moves:Black intends to follow up with 3...Bg7 and 4...d6.The Grünfeld Defence arises when Black plays 3...d5 instead, and is considered a separate opening...
. This time Moheschunder, as Black, won after some enterprising (and perhaps dubious) sacrificial
Sacrifice (chess)
In chess, a sacrifice is a move giving up a piece in the hopes of gaining tactical or positional compensation in other forms. A sacrifice could also be a deliberate exchange of a chess piece of higher value for an opponent's piece of lower value....
play:
1. e4 d6 2. d4 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. f4 0-0 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Bd3? e5! 8. fxe5 dxe5 9. d5 Nxe4!? 10. Nxe4 f5 11. Neg5 e4 12. Ne6 exf3! 13. Nxd8?! fxg2 14. Rg1 Bxd1 15. Ne6 Bg4 16. Nxf8 Kxf8 17. Rxg2 Nd7 18. Bf4 Nc5 19. Kd2 Rc8 20. Kc2 Bf3 21. Rf2 Nxd3 22. Kxd3 Be4+ 23. Ke3 b5 24. cxb5 Bxd5 25. Rd2 Bc4 26. Rad1 Bf6 27. Bh6+ Kg8 28. Kf4 Re8 29. b3 Bxb5 30. Rc1 Be2! 31. Re1 Re4+ 32. Kg3 Bh4+ 0–1