Overview
Queen’s Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4……… Bb4 Jobs in Inderbor, Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan at Chessiverse AB
Title: Queen’s Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4……… Bb4
Company: Chessiverse AB
Location: Inderbor, Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan
Articles/Opening Guides/Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4…… Bb4
Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4…… Bb4
+50%
E131.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 Bb4
Jul 24, 2028
2 min read
TL;DR
A Queen's Indian-Nimzo hybrid. …Bb4 pins the c3 knight and stops White from achieving easy central play, while …Bb7 keeps the long-diagonal pressure alive. A sharp, slightly underrated way for Black to fight for the initiative.
Reviewed by
IM John BartholomewCo-Founder & Chess Educator
International Master and chess educator. Co-founded Chessable and joined Chessiverse as co-founder. Best known for his "Climbing the Rating Ladder" YouTube series and structured opening courses.
In This Article
- History and Notable Players
- Move Diversity and Theory Depth
- Common Mistakes
- Practice on Chessiverse
Summary
- d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 Bb4 opens the Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4… Bb4, ECO E13. Lichess records 44,686 games in this line, which gives us a reliable view of how it actually performs in practice.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the Queen's Indian Defense. Among the most prolific White practitioners are Boris Chatalbashev (7 games), Ivan Farago (5 games), Vladimir P Malaniuk (5 games). Black-side regulars include Ivan Farago (10 games), Ruslan Pogorelov (6 games), Edvins Kengis (6 games).
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
Move choice is far from uniform in the Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4… Bb4. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is e3, played 49% of the time. There are 4 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 79.8% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 2.33. By 2500, e3 dominates at 68% of replies; only 3 viable alternatives remain and 91.4% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 1.52. That entropy collapse is the signature of a line where preparation pays off: at the top, players know the best move and play it.
Common Mistakes
- Drifting away from main theory — At 400 Elo, theory adherence sits at 72.2% — versus 86.6% at 2000. The most popular deviation is a3 (played 22.2% of the time at 400, much less so up top). It looks fine but quietly hands the better-prepared side an edge.
- Neglecting development — It can feel productive to make extra pawn moves early, but falling behind in piece development is what loses most amateur games — especially in open positions where active pieces find squares fast.
- Letting White own the centre — Hypermodern openings concede central space on purpose, but only if you strike back in time. Delay the counter-blow and you end up squeezed.
Practice on Chessiverse
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Quick Facts
Main Line1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 Bb4
DifficultyAdvanced
Parent OpeningQueen's Indian Defense
Style
Solid Defender openings aim for a rock-solid pawn structure and safe piece placement. They resist aggression, minimize weaknesses, and seek to outplay the opponent in the long run.
44,686games on Lichess
47.1%
5%
48%
White wins Draws Black wins
Top Players
As White
- Boris Chatalbashev7 games
- Ivan Farago5 games
- Vladimir P Malaniuk5 games
As Black
- Ivan Farago10 games
- Ruslan Pogorelov6 games
- Edvins Kengis6 games
Data from Lichess opening explorer (blitz & rapid)
Most Popular At2500
SharpnessSharp
Popularity by Rating
Percentage of all games at each rating bracket that feature this opening.
Data from Lichess opening explorer (blitz & rapid games)
Theory Adherence by Rating
How often players choose the single most popular move at this position. Higher = more predictable play.
White to move after the opening line
Popularity Over Time
Share of all Lichess blitz + rapid games featuring this opening, by year.
Top Moves by Rating
White to move after the opening line
RatingMost Popular2nd3rd
400e327.8%a322.2%Qc222.2%
1000e340.2%a316.8%Qc211.2%
1200e349%a318.7%Qc212.1%
1400e356.2%a318.3%Qc29.7%
1600e363.9%a314.5%Qc29.3%
1800e369.1%a311.3%Qc29.2%
2000e370.7%Qc29.2%a36.7%
2200e369.2%Qc29%Qb37%
2500e368%Nd215.5%Qc27.9%
Popularity by Time Control
Bullet
<0.01%14K
Blitz
<0.01%38K
Rapid
<0.01%6K
3% more decisive in bullet
Raw data tables (Lichess blitz + rapid)
Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4…… Bb4: popularity and win rates by player rating Rating (Elo) Share % Games White win % Black win % Draw % Sharpness 400 0.00 19 57.9 42.1 0.0 1.000 1000 0.00 107 49.5 48.6 1.9 0.981 1200 0.00 645 51.3 45.1 3.6 0.964 1400 0.00 2,794 50.5 46.5 3.0 0.970 1600 0.00 7,495 48.5 47.6 3.9 0.961 1800 0.00 13,010 47.3 48.2 4.5 0.955 2000 0.00 11,959 44.2 50.1 5.7 0.943 2200 0.00 7,716 48.1 45.6 6.3 0.937 2500 0.01 941 46.5 46.0 7.4 0.926 Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4…… Bb4: move-choice theory adherence by rating Rating (Elo) Top move Top move % Viable moves Theory % Entropy 400 e3 27.8 8 72.2 2.636 1000 e3 40.2 4 68.2 2.686 1200 e3 49.0 4 79.8 2.327 1400 e3 56.2 4 84.2 2.067 1600 e3 63.9 3 87.7 1.844 1800 e3 69.1 3 89.6 1.656 2000 e3 70.7 4 86.6 1.625 2200 e3 69.2 5 85.2 1.647 2500 e3 68.0 3 91.4 1.522 Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4…… Bb4: popularity over time Year Share % Games White win % Black win % Draw % 2013 0.00 17 58.8 29.4 11.8 2014 0.00 89 37.1 57.3 5.6 2015 0.00 287 44.6 53.0 2.4 2016 0.00 719 41.0 54.0 5.0 2017 0.00 1,300 45.5 49.8 4.7 2018 0.00 2,036 46.8 48.3 4.9 2019 0.00 2,989 44.7 49.9 5.4 2020 0.00 6,466 46.8 48.3 4.9 2021 0.00 7,141 46.6 48.1 5.3 2022 0.00 7,066 47.7 47.4 4.9 2023 0.00 6,943 47.8 47.4 4.8 2024 0.00 6,489 47.4 47.7 4.9 2025 0.00 6,382 48.3 46.8 5.0 Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4…… Bb4: popularity by time control Format Share % Games White win % Black win % Draw % Sharpness bullet 0.00 14,309 50.3 46.8 2.9 0.971 blitz 0.00 38,317 47.4 47.7 4.9 0.951 rapid 0.00 6,289 45.0 49.6 5.5 0.945 Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4…… Bb4: top candidate moves by rating bracket Rating (Elo) 1st move 1st % 2nd move 2nd % 3rd move 3rd % 400 e3 27.8 a3 22.2 Qc2 22.2 1000 e3 40.2 a3 16.8 Qc2 11.2 1200 e3 49.0 a3 18.7 Qc2 12.1 1400 e3 56.2 a3 18.3 Qc2 9.7 1600 e3 63.9 a3 14.5 Qc2 9.3 1800 e3 69.1 a3 11.3 Qc2 9.2 2000 e3 70.7 Qc2 9.2 a3 6.7 2200 e3 69.2 Qc2 9.0 Qb3 7.0 2500 e3 68.0 Nd2 15.5 Qc2 7.9 Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4…… Bb4: top practitioners by side Side Player Games White Boris Chatalbashev 7 White Ivan Farago 5 White Vladimir P Malaniuk 5 Black Ivan Farago 10 Black Ruslan Pogorelov 6 Black Edvins Kengis 6
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4… Bb4?
The Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4… Bb4 begins with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 Bb4 and is classified under ECO code E13.
Is the Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4… Bb4 good for beginners?
The Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4… Bb4 can be played at any level. Beginners should focus on understanding the key strategic ideas rather than memorizing long theoretical lines. Our AI bots at various rating levels provide a great way to practice the opening concepts.
What are the win rates for the Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4… Bb4?
In a database of 44,686 master games, White wins 47.1% of the time, Black wins 48%, and 5% are drawn. Notable players on the White side include Boris Chatalbashev and Ivan Farago. On the Black side, Ivan Farago and Ruslan Pogorelov are among the most frequent practitioners.
How can I practice the Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4… Bb4?
On Chessiverse, you can practice the Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4… Bb4 by playing against our 600+ AI bots. Each bot has a unique playing style and opening repertoire, so you can find the perfect sparring partner for any level.
Related Openings
Catalan Opening
White's g3 fianchetto vs. d4-c4: the g2 bishop pressures Black's queenside long into the endgame. Kasparov and Carlsen favourite. Play vs. AI on Chessiverse.
Catalan Opening: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4…… 4.Bg2
Bishop reaches g2 and the long diagonal opens up. Black faces the strategic choice: take on c4 or stay closed? 1.1M games. Play vs. AI on Chessiverse.
Catalan Opening: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4…… 5.Nf3
Closed Catalan main path: Black keeps the centre tight with …Be7. White's g2 bishop gnaws away while looking for the right moment to break. 1.6M games. Play vs. AI on Chessiverse.
Catalan Opening: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4…… Nbd7
Closed Catalan with …Nbd7: solid Black setup waiting for …c5 or …c6/…b6. White looks to slowly increase pressure. Play vs. AI on Chessiverse.
Reviewed by
IM John BartholomewCo-Founder & Chess Educator
International Master and chess educator. Co-founded Chessable and joined Chessiverse as co-founder. Best known for his "Climbing the Rating Ladder" YouTube series and structured opening courses.
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