Indian Defense: Normal Variation

Indian Defense: Normal Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code A50, part of the Indian Defense family. It goes 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... Nf6. After 3 moves it is Black to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.

The moves

1. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
1... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
2. c4 – White plays the pawn to c4

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 2... c5, 2... g6, 2... e6, 2... e5.

About the Indian Defense

Black answers 1.d4 with 1...Nf6, controlling e4 with a piece instead of a pawn. This flexible move can lead to many systems.

Black waits to see White's setup before choosing ...e6, ...g6 or ...c5.
Many lines use a fianchetto, with the bishop on g7 or b7.
Early ...c5 and ...b5 ideas (like the Benko) fight for the queenside.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the Indian Defense: Normal Variation course lesson.

Related openings

It extends: Indian Defense (1. d4 Nf6)
Continues with: Indian Defense: Medusa Gambit – adds 2... g5
Continues with: Indian Defense: Pyrenees Gambit – adds 2... b5
Continues with: Mexican Defense – adds 2... Nc6
Continues with: Queen's Indian Accelerated – adds 2... b6
Continues with: Slav Indian – adds 2... c6
Continues with: Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit – adds 2... e5
Continues with: Old Indian Defense – adds 2... d6
Continues with: Benoni Defense – adds 2... c5
Related line: Indian Defense: Medusa Gambit (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g5)
Related line: Indian Defense: Pyrenees Gambit (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 b5)
Related line: Indian Defense: Przepiorka Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3)
Related line: Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5)
Related line: Indian Defense: Colle System, King's Indian Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. e3 Bg7 4. Bd3 d6)
Related line: Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit Accepted (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5)

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