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Old Indian Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 · A53–A55

Part of Indian Defense

Starting positionWhite to move

0 / 14

A King's Indian without the bishop on g7

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The idea

Black plays ...d6 and ...e5 behind a compact wall, reaching a King's-Indian-like structure without the fianchetto, favouring a more restrained piece setup.

Main line: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.e4 Be7 6.Be2 O-O 7.O-O c6

What White wants

  • Take the space and keep the centre stable
  • Play for the kingside with the extra room
  • Avoid rushing — there is no target to attack quickly

What Black wants

  • Hold the centre with ...e5 and ...Be7 and castle
  • Free the position with ...c6 and ...d5 or ...exd4
  • Trade pieces and reach a sound, slightly passive position

Key idea

Understand this and the moves stop needing to be memorised.

A King's Indian without the bishop on g7

The centre resembles a King's Indian, but Black develops the king's bishop to e7 rather than g7. There is less immediate diagonal pressure on d4. Black relies on a compact setup and timely central breaks; safety still depends on development and the pawn tension.

Common mistake

Exchanging in the centre without comparing piece activity. ...exd4 is a normal option, not an automatic error, but Nxd4 may give White active squares. Complete development and choose the exchange or ...c6–d5 break for a concrete reason.

Representative position

The position this opening is aiming at. Copy the FEN, or open it in the analysis board and let the engine tell you what it is worth.

r1bq1rk1/pp1nbppp/2pp1n2/4p3/2PPP3/2N2N2/PP2BPPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 8

Analyze this position

Related openings

Indian Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O · A45–A79, D70–D99, E00–E99The family name for every defence where Black develops the knight to f6 first and decides later whether the centre will be blocked, undermined or handed over.King's Indian Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 · E60–E99Black lets White build a huge centre and then attacks it with a kingside pawn storm — the most combative defence to 1.d4 in existence.Philidor Defense1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 · C41Black defends e5 with the d-pawn, keeping the position compact and conceding the bishop on f8 a passive but extremely solid role.Queen's Gambit Declined1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 · D30–D69Black holds d5 with ...e6 and accepts a slightly cramped but extremely solid position — the classical answer to 1.d4 for over a century.Nimzo-Indian Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O · E20–E59Black pins the knight on c3 and fights for e4 with pieces rather than pawns — one of the most respected defences in all of chess.Queen's Indian Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 · E12–E19Black fianchettoes the queen's bishop and challenges e4 along the long diagonal — solid, principled and a lifetime's work to master.