1.d4 — the closed and Indian games
Queen's Indian Defence
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6ECO E12–E19
The hypermodern partner to the Nimzo-Indian: when White avoids 3.Nc3, Black fianchettoes on b7 to fight for e4 from a distance. A rock-solid, positional defence built on light-square control.
Key ideas
- …b6 and …Bb7 contest the long light diagonal and the e4-square without committing a central pawn.
- …Bb4+ and …Be7, plus a later …d5 or …c5, give Black a flexible, sound structure.
- It pairs naturally with the Nimzo-Indian as a complete, reliable answer to 1.d4.
Who it suits
Positional players who like solid, light-square control and a low-risk repertoire with Black.
Add it to your repertoire.
Drill the Queen's Indian Defence move by move against the board until it's second nature.
Open the trainer