Chess opening · ECO A45
Indian Defense
1...Nf6 is the starting point of the Indian openings. The knight covers e4, so White cannot build a two-pawn center right away, and Black has not committed a single pawn. Everything depends on the next few moves: White picks between c4, Nf3 and system setups, and Black answers with a fianchetto, ...e6 or ...c5.
- Rank by weighted share
- #7 of 159
Key moves
1. d4 Nf6
- 1... Nf6The knight develops toward the center and controls e4 and d5. Because no pawn has moved, Black can later choose a King's Indian, Nimzo-Indian, Queen's Indian, Grunfeld or Benoni depending on how White sets up.
2.c4 and the main Indian systems
With the c-pawn on c4, White gains queenside space and prepares Nc3 and e4. Black's ...g6 leads toward the King's Indian or Grunfeld, ...e6 toward the Nimzo-Indian or Queen's Indian, and ...c5 toward Benoni structures.
2...e5 is the Budapest Gambit, a pawn offer that is available because no white knight stands on f3 to guard e5.
Setups without c4
Many White players keep the c-pawn home. 2.Nf3 holds back the choice of system and takes the Budapest off the table. 2.Bg5 is the Trompowsky, where the bishop goes after the f6 knight at once. 2.e3, 2.Bf4 and 2.g3 lead to Colle, London and fianchetto setups where piece placement matters more than early theory.
Top replies by rating
c4 leads every band and its share grows with rating. Below 1200 the top three sit nearly level, and at 2000 and up Bg5 joins the top three.
Questions
Why does 1...Nf6 count as its own opening?
It covers many systems at once. Only after White's second and third moves does the game get a more specific name, so this page serves as the parent of lines such as the Trompowsky and the Knights Variation.
Can White still play e4 after 1...Nf6?
Not on move two without losing the pawn, since the knight hits e4. White prepares it with c4 and Nc3, or with f3 in some lines, before pushing.
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.