Indian Game Accelerated Variation
Indian Game – Accelerated Variation
Definition
The term Indian Game: Accelerated Variation describes a family of openings that arise after 1.d4 when Black hurriedly—“accelerates”— fianchets the king-side bishop with …g6 and …Bg7 before locking the centre with …d6 or contesting it with …d5. By postponing those pawn moves Black retains the option of transposing into a King’s Indian Defence, a Grünfeld, a Modern Benoni, or even remaining in a flexible “Modern” set-up. In most databases the line is filed under ECO codes A50–A54 (generic “Indian Game”) and sometimes E60 (“King’s Indian, Accelerated”).
Typical Move Orders
The opening can start in several ways; three of the most common are:
-
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4
Black has reached a King’s-Indian-like position without the usual …d6 yet, so the plans with …d5 or …c5 are still on the table. -
1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 Nf6
Black delays the king knight, avoiding some anti-King’s-Indian systems that rely on an early e4–e5 push against …Nf6. -
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.d4 Bg7
The “Réti” transposition chosen by players who prefer to sidestep the very first wave of Queen’s-Pawn theory.
Strategic Themes
- Flexibility – By not fixing the centre Black can steer the game toward a variety of structures depending on White’s set-up (…d5 for a Grünfeld, …c5 for a Benoni, …d6 and …e5 for a classical King’s Indian).
- Long-diagonal pressure – The early Bg7 immediately eyes the d4-pawn and the queenside, often provoking White to over-protect the centre.
- Tempo trade-off – Black saves a move compared with the main King’s Indian (where …Nf6 and …g6 are both required before …Bg7); the price is conceding some extra space until the centre is clarified.
- Sidestepping theory – White’s sharp Samisch (5.f3), Four-Pawns (5.f4), and Averbakh systems all require …Nf6/…d6 to be on the board; by delaying them Black avoids those heavy-theory lines altogether.
Historical Notes
The accelerated scheme became fashionable in the 1970s when grandmasters such as Bent Larsen and Lajos Portisch experimented with early …g6 against 1.d4. In the 1990s it gained further traction thanks to Igor Glek’s bold repertoire treatises, and today it often appears in the practice of modern dynamic players like Richard Rapport and Daniil Dubov, who enjoy the choice of transpositions it offers.
Illustrative Mini-Game
In the following short example Black keeps the centre fluid until the exact moment it can be struck, demonstrating the core idea:
Although the moves quickly leave mainstream theory, they show how Black’s “delayed” set-up (…Nc6/…e5/…f5) can explode in the centre once the king is safe.
Practical Advice
- Against 3.Nc3 keep an eye on the possibility of switching to a Grünfeld with …d5 if you are comfortable with the ensuing pawn sacrifice lines.
- Against the Fianchetto System (g3) consider …c5 to reach a Modern Benoni; the accelerated bishop already sits on g7 where it belongs.
- Move order discipline is vital—putting the wrong piece in the centre too early (e.g. …d6 when you really wanted a Grünfeld) may lead to an inferior transposition.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Garry Kasparov occasionally used the accelerated move order (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6) in blitz to confuse his opponents, joking that it was his “chameleon” Indian—always ready to change colour.
- Because no central pawn is fixed, engine evaluations swing wildly after each tempo; many club players therefore adopt the line to keep computer-prepared opponents out of book.
- The accelerated scheme is sometimes nicknamed the “Hyper-King’s-Indian” in Russian literature—an echo of Tartakower’s 1920s term “hyper-modern” for openings that attack the centre from afar.