Queen's Indian Defence: free opening course
After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Black plays 3...b6 and puts the bishop on the long diagonal. It is a solid, flexible defence that fights for the e4 square. You learn 4.g3 with both 4...Ba6 and 4...Bb7, the Petrosian 4.a3, the quiet 4.e3 and the sharp 4.Nc3. Three traps show how White players lose material.
Key ideas
- The e4 square is the heart of this opening. The b7 bishop and the f6 knight fight for it.
- Against 4.g3, the move 4...Ba6 attacks c4 at once. White must spend a move to guard the pawn.
- Strike at White's centre with a pawn to c5 or d5 once your pieces are ready.
- A knight on e4 is a strong piece. Support it with a pawn on f5 when White attacks it.
- Giving the b4 bishop for the c3 knight is a common plan. It leaves White with doubled c-pawns.
The 5 variations in the course
- 4.g3 Ba6: the main fianchetto line: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7 … — Against 4.g3 Black attacks c4 at once with 4...Ba6. After 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 White's bishop on d2 is in the way. Black follows with ...c6 and ...d5 and gets a solid, equal game.
- 4.g3 Bb7: the traditional line: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O … — Black puts the bishop on b7 and fights for e4 with the pieces. After 7.Nc3 Ne4 Black trades a pair of knights. Then Black hits the centre with ...c5 and keeps a balanced game.
- 4.a3: the Petrosian Variation: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 … — White takes the b4 square from Black's bishop and plans a big centre. Black answers with ...d5, trades knights on c3 and strikes back with ...c5. White gets the centre and Black gets pressure against it.
- 4.e3: the quiet line: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Bd3 d5 6. O-O Bd6 … — White keeps it simple with e3, a bishop on d3 and castling. Black takes e4 under control with the b7 bishop and a pawn on d5. Both sides develop calmly, and Black has an easy game.
- 4.Nc3 Bb4: against the Kasparov Variation: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 Bb7 6. e3 h6 … — After 4.Nc3 Black pins the knight with 4...Bb4, as in the Nimzo-Indian. When White pins back with Bg5, Black breaks the pin with ...h6 and ...g5. The knight lands on e4 and Black gives the bishop for the c3 knight.
Traps you will learn (3)
- 4...Ba6 5.Qc2: the 7.e3 slip — After 5.Qc2 c5 6.Bg2 Nc6, the natural 7.e3 is a mistake. Black opens the c-file, the knight hits the queen, and the c4 pawn falls.
- 4.Nc3 Bb4: the 8.Nxg5 sacrifice — Some White players give the knight on g5 to keep the pin. Black takes, unpins calmly with the bishop, and stays a piece up for two pawns.
- 4.Nc3 Bb4: the 9.Bd3 slip — After 8...Ne4 the c3 knight is attacked twice. If White plays 9.Bd3, Black takes on c3, gives check, and wins the a1 rook for the bishop.
How the opening courses work
Each course teaches an opening in a few main variations. For every move you read why it is played, which other moves are good, and which tempting moves are mistakes and why. Each course also shows the traps of the opening: the ones you can set and the ones to avoid.
After a lesson you play the moves yourself in a drill. The lines you learn go into your review, which brings them back when you are about to forget them (spaced repetition). 30 line courses add many short lines per opening, a few new ones a day, and every named opening, more than 3,800 lines, has a lesson of its own.
Questions and answers
Is the Queen's Indian Defence course free?
Yes. The Queen's Indian Defence course on chessGM is free, with all 5 variations, 3 traps, the drills and the review. There is no paid plan that unlocks more.
Who is the Queen's Indian Defence course for?
It is a course at advanced level for Black, written for players rated around 1800.
How do I practise this opening?
After each lesson, play the moves yourself in the drill. The lines you learn go into your review, which brings them back when you are about to forget them, and you can try the opening in games against the bots.