Indian Game (Indian Defence)

Indian Game

Definition

The term Indian Game (or “Indian Defence”) describes any chess opening that begins with the moves 1. d4 Nf6, in which Black declines to occupy the center immediately with …d5. Instead, Black keeps the queen’s pawn flexible and uses pieces to contest central squares—a hallmark of the hyper-modern approach. From this starting position sprout most of the 20th century’s great closed-game systems, including the King’s Indian, Nimzo-Indian, Queen’s Indian, Grünfeld, Bogo-Indian, and Old Indian Defences.

Typical Move-Order & Family Tree

After 1. d4 Nf6, White almost always follows with 2. c4, staking space. Black then chooses a setup:

2…e6 → Nimzo-Indian (after 3. Nc3 Bb4) or Queen’s Indian (after 3. Nf3 b6).
2…g6 → King’s Indian Defence or Grünfeld Defence (3. Nc3 d5).
2…d6 or 2…e5 → Old Indian or Budapest Gambit (2…e5).
2…c5 → Benoni and related systems.

Strategic Themes

Although each branch has its own nuances, most Indian systems share these strategic ideas:

Piece Pressure on the Center: Black allows White to advance pawns (d4–c4–e4) and then challenges them with pieces and pawn breaks (…d6/…e5, …c5, …f5).
Flexibility: By delaying …d5, Black keeps multiple plans open (kingside fianchetto, queenside counterplay, or central breaks).
Dynamic Imbalance: Indian Defences often lead to unbalanced pawn structures and lively middlegames rather than symmetrical, static positions.
Kingside vs. Queenside Races: In many lines (e.g., King’s Indian Mar del Plata), White pushes on the queenside while Black storms the kingside.

Historical Background

The name traces back to the Calcutta friendly matches of the 1840s–50s, where the Bengali master Moheschunder Bannerjee played 1…Nf6 against the visiting Scotsman John Cochrane. European annotators labeled the setup “the Indian Defence” in honor of Bannerjee’s nationality. The opening gained wider respect when Aaron Nimzowitsch and other hyper-moderns championed it in the 1920s. From the 1950s onward, players such as Bronstein, Fischer, Petrosian, Kasparov and today’s elite (Carlsen, Nakamura, Giri) have all employed various Indian Defences at the highest level.

Illustrative Mini-Game (King’s Indian)

Short but thematic example: Black delays …d5, castles kingside, and strikes in the center.

Famous Game Reference

Kasparov – Deep Blue, Game 6, 1997 used the Nimzo-Indian: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4. Although Kasparov lost, the encounter highlighted the depth and tactical richness of Indian structures in human-computer play.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

The Indian Game family is so extensive that over a third of all ECO codes (A45–E99) begin with 1. d4 Nf6.
In the pre-hyper-modern era, 1…Nf6 was once thought “irregular” because it failed to occupy the center with pawns—precisely the reason modern players love it!
Grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi quipped, “When in doubt, play …Nf6 and …g6— you have not committed; you have only asked questions.”
The Indian Defence is one of the main weapons against 1. d4 at every rating level, from scholastic tournaments to World Championship matches.

Practical Usage Tips

Players choosing the Indian Game as Black should

Learn typical pawn breaks (…e5, …c5, …d5) rather than long forcing lines.
Study typical maneuvers like …Nbd7–f8–g6 (KID) or …Bb4–xc3 (Nimzo) that clarify the struggle for key squares.
Adjust plans to White’s setup: against f3 systems, move orders may transpose to Grünfeld-type centers, while against g3 lines the struggle centers on dark-square control.