Chess opening · ECO A15
English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense
Black develops a piece, covers e4 and d5, and gives away nothing about the pawn structure with 1...Nf6. The knight can sit behind a King's Indian setup with ...g6, a Queen's Indian setup with ...b6, or a Nimzo-style ...e6 and ...Bb4. That keeps White guessing, and White's second move decides whether the game stays an English or crosses into a d4 opening.
- Rank by weighted share
- #74 of 159
Key moves
1. c4 Nf6
- 1... Nf6The knight discourages an immediate e4 from White without committing a black pawn. Black can still play ...e5 and reach a King's English, ...c5 for a Symmetrical, or ...e6 and ...d5 for a Queen's Gambit type of center.
What 2.Nc3 and 2.g3 keep in play
2.Nc3 adds a second guard to d5, a first to e4, and keeps White's d-pawn flexible. White can follow with e4 to grab the center, or with g3, Bg2 and Nf3 for a quieter setup.
2.g3 heads straight for the fianchetto. Against it, Black often chooses ...c6 and ...d5, putting pawns in the path of the g2 bishop.
Stepping into an Indian Defense with 2.d4
2.d4 leaves the English behind. After 2...e6, 2...g6 or 2...c5 the game reaches Indian Defense territory, so a player who meets 1.d4 with ...Nf6 can treat this as a different route to familiar positions.
Queen's Indian bishop against the g2 bishop
2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O
The bishops on b7 and g2 share the long diagonal, with White's f3 knight between them, so e4 becomes a key square. Black keeps the d-pawn back for now, so White has to decide whether to push d4 or keep playing around the center.
Top replies by rating
Nc3 leads every band by a wide gap. At 2000 and up, g3 moves into second place and d4 slips to third.
Related openings
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