ChessScreenshot

Queen's Indian: Petrosian Variation

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 · E12

Part of Queen's Indian Defense

Starting positionWhite to move

0 / 17

A small pawn move protects a central plan

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
  3. 3.
  4. 4.
  5. 5.
  6. 6.
  7. 7.
  8. 8.
  9. 9.

The idea

White spends a tempo on a3 before developing Nc3. This rules out a bishop pin on b4, allowing White to build the centre without accepting Nimzo-Indian-style doubled pawns.

Main line: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.e3 Be7 8.Bd3 O-O 9.O-O

What White wants

  • Develop Nc3 without allowing ...Bb4 to pin it
  • Use e3, Bd3 and castling to support a later e4
  • Meet Black's central exchanges with active development rather than pawn grabbing

What Black wants

  • Develop ...Bb7 to control e4 along the diagonal
  • Challenge d4 with ...d5 or ...c5 before White gains more space
  • Use White's a3 tempo to complete development and contest the centre

Key idea

Understand this and the moves stop needing to be memorised.

A small pawn move protects a central plan

The pawn on a3 attacks b4, so ...Bb4 would simply lose the bishop. That makes Nc3 easier to play, but a3 does not develop a piece: Black gets time to challenge the centre while White prepares e4.

Common mistake

Following a3 with more flank moves before developing. Its purpose is to support Nc3 and the centre; extra pawn moves let ...d5 or ...c5 undermine d4 while White's king is still uncastled.

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.

rn1q1rk1/pbp1bppp/1p2p3/3n4/3P4/P1NBPN2/1P3PPP/R1BQ1RK1 b - - 4 9

Analyze this position

Related openings

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.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.Catalan Opening1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 · E01–E09White combines the Queen's Gambit with a kingside fianchetto, aiming the bishop down the long diagonal at Black's queenside.Grünfeld Defense1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 · D70–D99Black strikes at the centre immediately with ...d5 and lets White build an enormous pawn mass, planning to destroy it from the flanks.