Opening family
Indian Defense Lines and Variations
The Indian Defense family contains 53 named lines in this opening book, spanning ECO A43 to E60. Use this page as the map, then open individual lines for exact move orders and diagrams.
How to study this family
White
White should use the move order as a checkpoint: finish development, identify the central break, and compare the continuations below before memorizing moves.
Black
Black should ask what White is threatening in the center, then choose development moves that prepare a clean pawn break or a useful exchange.
Start with the shortest line, then branch to the variations that change the pawn structure or tactical target. Memorizing every branch before understanding the family plan is usually wasted work.
Main named lines
- A45 · Indian Defense
- A45 · Indian Defense: Accelerated London System
- A45 · Indian Defense: Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit
- A45 · Indian Defense: Omega Gambit
- A45 · Indian Defense: Pawn Push Variation
- A45 · Indian Defense: Tartakower Attack
- A46 · Indian Defense: Knights Variation
- A50 · Indian Defense: Normal Variation
- A45 · Indian Defense: Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit Accepted
- A45 · Indian Defense: Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit, Oshima Defense
- A45 · Indian Defense: Lazard Gambit
- A45 · Indian Defense: Maddigan Gambit
- A45 · Indian Defense: Reversed Chigorin Defense
- A46 · Indian Defense: Czech-Indian
- A46 · Indian Defense: Knights Variation, Alburt-Miles Variation
- A46 · Indian Defense: Polish Variation
- A46 · Indian Defense: Spielmann-Indian
- A46 · Indian Defense: Wade-Tartakower Defense
- A50 · Indian Defense: Medusa Gambit
- A50 · Indian Defense: Pyrenees Gambit
- A51 · Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit
- E60 · Indian Defense: West Indian Defense
- A45 · Indian Defense: Gedult Attack
- A45 · Indian Defense: Paleface Attack, Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Deferred
Deep theory branches
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. g4 Nxg4 3. e4 d6 4. Be2 Nf6 5. Nc3 — Indian Defense: Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit, Stummer Gambit
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. e3 Bg7 4. Bd3 d6 — Indian Defense: Colle System, King's Indian Variation
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. e4 Nxe5 — Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit Accepted, Main Line, Alekhine Variation, Abonyi Variation
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. e4 d6 — Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit Accepted, Main Line, Alekhine Variation, Tartakower Defense
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. g4 Nxg4 3. f3 Nf6 4. e4 — Indian Defense: Gibbins-Weidenhagen Gambit, Maltese Falcon
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. e4 Nxe4 3. Bd3 Nf6 4. Bg5 — Indian Defense: Omega Gambit, Arafat Gambit
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ne4 4. a3 — Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit Accepted, Fajarowicz Defense, Bonsdorf Variation
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ne4 4. Qc2 — Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit Accepted, Fajarowicz Defense, Steiner Variation
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. Nf3 — Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit Accepted, Main Line, Adler Variation
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. e4 — Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit Accepted, Main Line, Alekhine Variation
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. Bf4 — Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit Accepted, Main Line, Rubinstein Variation
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 c5 3. d5 b5 — Indian Defense: Pseudo-Benko
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 b6 3. c3 e5 — Indian Defense: Schnepper Gambit
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ne4 — Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit Accepted, Fajarowicz Defense
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 — Indian Defense: Budapest Gambit Accepted, Main Line
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Ne4 — Indian Defense: Döry Indian