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Queen's Indian Defense

47 variations · 1.3M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Key Finding

Queen's Indian Defense gives White a 52.4% expected score — a strong opening choice.

With a minimum advantage of 4.5%, this opening reliably outperforms the baseline 50% expected score.

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Rating
Time
White Expected Score0.0%Range (90% confident): 52.3% – 52.4%Aggregated from 47 variations
0%52.4%100%
Range (90% confident): 52.3% – 52.4%
ContextOverall · n=1.3M
Outcome Distribution
49.1%6.5%44.4%
Win
Draw
Loss
3...b6
Queen's Indian Defense
Variations47
Games (Context)1.3M
Avg Length38 moves
Draw Rate6.5%

What Should I Play?

Player-controlled continuations for White · Overall

#1Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Polugaevsky GambitTop Pick
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.O-O O-O 7.d5 exd5 8.Nh4
Min adv +10.6% · n=12K
56.1%
#2Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Taimanov Gambit
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.O-O O-O 7.d5 exd5 8.Nd4
Min adv +9.6% · n=1.4K
56.9%
#3Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3
Min adv +9.0% · n=26K
55.0%
#4Queen's Indian Defense: Opocensky Variation
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.Nc3 Ne4 7.Bd2
Min adv +9.0% · n=443
58.4%
#5Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Rubinstein Variation
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 c5 6.d5 exd5 7.Nh4
Min adv +8.8% · n=4.9K
55.6%
#6Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Kramnik Variation
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.O-O O-O 7.Re1
Min adv +7.8% · n=11K
54.7%
#7Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.O-O
Min adv +7.4% · n=62K
54.1%
#8Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.O-O O-O 7.Nc3
Min adv +5.8% · n=107K
53.2%
#9Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3
Min adv +5.1% · n=13K
53.3%
#10Queen's Indian Defense: Anti-Queen's Indian System
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.Nc3
Min adv +4.5% · n=20K
52.8%

Continuations show the most common variations from this opening. Higher expected scores indicate better statistical outcomes, but familiarity and playstyle matter too.

What is the Queen's Indian Defense expected score for White?

Snapshot

Overall, the Queen's Indian Defense family has a 52.4% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 52.3% and 52.4%), aggregated from 47 variations and 1.3M Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Stable across ratings (~49%)

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 49.3% win rate (2,268 games)
  • 1000-1199: 51.3% win rate (9,050 games)
  • 1200-1399: 50.3% win rate (28,913 games)
  • 1400-1599: 50.4% win rate (73,056 games)
  • 1600-1799: 49.5% win rate (139,624 games)
  • 1800-1999: 48.8% win rate (243,452 games)
  • 2000-2199: 48.5% win rate (351,774 games)
  • 2200-2499: 49.2% win rate (371,376 games)
  • 2500+: 49.3% win rate (113,132 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Best in UltraBullet (51%), worst in Classical (47%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 50.7% win rate (317 games)
  • Bullet: 50.0% win rate (462,063 games)
  • Blitz: 48.7% win rate (741,670 games)
  • Rapid: 48.1% win rate (121,242 games)
  • Classical: 46.7% win rate (7,353 games)

Rating vs Time Control Matrix

Click cells to filter · White expected scores

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
0-999
1000-1199
1200-1399
1400-1599
1600-1799
1800-1999
2000-2199
2200-2499
2500+—

Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control

  • 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (992 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.9% expected score (1,049 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 44.2% expected score (222 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 21.5% expected score (2 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 73.8% expected score (9 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 55.0% expected score (3,786 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 51.1% expected score (4,358 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 49.9% expected score (887 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 32.6% expected score (10 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 39.4% expected score (36 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 52.3% expected score (10,912 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 51.9% expected score (14,918 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.3% expected score (2,972 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 58.5% expected score (75 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 56.0% expected score (82 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 52.4% expected score (24,892 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 52.3% expected score (38,547 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 51.1% expected score (9,118 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 49.8% expected score (417 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 53.6% expected score (98 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (43,124 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 51.7% expected score (76,664 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 51.2% expected score (18,281 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 51.5% expected score (1,457 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 46.3% expected score (53 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (66,132 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 51.4% expected score (144,726 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 51.3% expected score (29,993 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (2,548 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 42.7% expected score (26 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.8% expected score (95,511 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 51.5% expected score (220,108 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 52.2% expected score (34,230 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 55.4% expected score (1,899 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 58.7% expected score (10 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.2% expected score (142,630 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 53.1% expected score (205,383 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 54.7% expected score (22,633 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 57.3% expected score (720 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 55.3% expected score (74,084 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 57.5% expected score (35,917 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 60.6% expected score (2,906 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 62.0% expected score (225 games)

Matrix view reveals how performance varies across rating brackets and time controls. Green indicates favorable, red indicates challenging contexts.

Variations (47)

1
Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Polugaevsky Gambit12K games
56.1%
2
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Traditional Line75K games
55.4%
3
Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Taimanov Gambit1.4K games
56.9%
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation26K games
55.0%
Queen's Indian Defense: Opocensky Variation443 games
58.4%
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Rubinstein Variation4.9K games
55.6%
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Kramnik Variation11K games
54.7%
Queen's Indian Defense: Traditional Variation4.4K games
55.0%
Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation62K games
54.1%
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Sämisch Variation28K games
53.6%
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Marco Defense42K games
53.5%
Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation107K games
53.2%
Queen's Indian Defense: Yates Variation14K games
53.6%
Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation, Nimzowitsch Line137K games
53.0%
Queen's Indian Defense: Capablanca Variation60K games
53.2%
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation13K games
53.3%
Queen's Indian Defense: Anti-Queen's Indian System20K games
52.8%
Queen's Indian Defense: Riumin Variation21K games
52.9%
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Classical Variation9.5K games
53.0%
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation, Nimzowitsch Attack7.2K games
53.1%
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation, Timman's Line1.3K games
54.0%
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Modern Line787 games
54.6%
Queen's Indian Defense: Petrosian Variation29K games
52.2%
Queen's Indian Defense: Euwe Variation6.3K games
52.6%
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Kasparov Attack5.9K games
52.4%
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Petrosian Attack5.5K games
52.3%
Queen's Indian Defense: Buerger Variation205 games
56.8%
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation45K games
51.5%
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo Line24K games
51.6%
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation, Quiet Line9.4K games
51.9%
Queen's Indian Defense: Miles Variation19K games
51.6%
Queen's Indian Defense: Spassky System120K games
51.1%
Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Tiviakov Defense3.6K games
52.2%
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Main Line33K games
51.2%
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation2.5K games
52.4%
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation265K games
50.8%
Queen's Indian Defense62K games
50.6%
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Andersson Variation9.3K games
50.4%
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Hedgehog Variation3.9K games
50.7%
Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation, Traditional Variation, Main Line22K games
49.8%
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation, Botvinnik Attack1.2K games
51.1%
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Romanishin Attack881 games
51.2%
Queen's Indian Defense: Petrosian Variation, Farago Defense1.8K games
50.3%
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Modern Variation2.8K games
48.8%
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Polovodin Gambit899 games
49.4%
Queen's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation266 games
45.6%
Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Rashkovsky Attack151 games
43.8%
Analyze Queen's Indian Defense PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Queen's Indian Defense win rate?

The Queen's Indian Defense family has a 49.1% (90% CI: 49.0%-49.2%) win rate for white, aggregated from 47 variations and 1.3M rated games from Lichess.

How many Queen's Indian Defense variations are there?

This analysis covers 47 Queen's Indian Defense variations with sufficient game data. Each variation has its own statistics page with detailed win rates by rating and time control.

At what rating does the Queen's Indian Defense perform best?

The Queen's Indian Defense family performs best at 1000-1199 Elo with a 51.3% win rate for white (9.1K games). Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the Queen's Indian Defense better in blitz or rapid?

Bullet (50.0%) outperforms Classical (46.7%) by 3.3% across all Queen's Indian Defense variations.

How sharp is the Queen's Indian Defense?

Queen's Indian Defense games are 93.5% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 38 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.

Is the Queen's Indian Defense a good opening family?

The Queen's Indian Defense family is statistically favors white overall with a 49.1% (90% CI: 49.0%-49.2%) aggregated win rate. However, win rates vary significantly between the 47 variations—explore individual lines to find the best fit for your style.