Indian Game Slav Indian Defense
Indian Game
Definition
The term Indian Game is a broad label that the ECO assigns to any Queen’s-Pawn Opening that begins 1. d4 Nf6 and in which Black does not immediately occupy the centre with …d5. By playing …Nf6 first, Black invites a hyper-modern struggle: instead of mirroring White’s pawn with 1…d5 (the Queen’s-Gambit family), Black keeps the central pawn in reserve and relies on piece pressure to challenge the centre later. Famous sub-families of the Indian Game include the King’s Indian Defence, Nimzo-Indian, Queen’s Indian, Bogo-Indian, and Old Indian.
Typical Move Orders
The only “fixed” part of an Indian Game is the first move pair:
- 1. d4 Nf6
- After 2. c4, Black can choose among:
- 2…g6 → King’s Indian, Grünfeld, or Modern Defence set-ups
- 2…e6 → Nimzo-Indian (if White plays Nc3) or Queen’s/Bogo-Indian variations
- 2…d6 → Old Indian Defence
- 2…c6 → Slav Indian (see next definition)
Strategic Themes
- Hyper-modern Control. Black delays …d5 and often invites White to build a classical pawn centre with c4 & e4, only to undermine it later with pawn breaks such as …e5, …c5, or …f5.
- Piece Play over Pawns. Early development of bishops and knights is prioritised; the dark-squared bishop in particular (either via …g6 or …Bb4) is a key piece.
- Flexibility. Many Indian lines can transpose into one another depending on White’s choices. This makes the opening family attractive to players who like to steer the game into less-analysed channels.
Historical Background
The name “Indian” stems from 19th-century European prejudice that regarded the fianchetto of bishops as exotic or “Indian” in origin. While the label is outdated culturally, it persists in modern opening nomenclature.
Indian openings entered top-level praxis in the 1920s with the hyper-modern revolution led by players such as Aron Nimzowitsch, Richard Réti, and Savielly Tartakower. By the mid-20th century they had become mainstream, adopted by world champions from Botvinnik to Kasparov and beyond.
Illustrative Mini-Game
After 4…Bb4 Black has entered the Nimzo-Indian Defence, one of the sharpest descendants of the Indian Game family.
Interesting Facts
- The great theoretician Efim Bogoljubov quipped, “When I’m White I win because I am White; when I’m Black I win because I am Bogoljubov,” shortly after scoring several victories with the then-new Nimzo-Indian set-up.
- India’s first world-championship challenger, Viswanathan Anand, has used virtually every major Indian Defence at elite level, making the “Indian” Games quite literally live up to their name.
Slav Indian Defense
Definition
The Slav Indian Defense arises after the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c6. It combines the flexible knight development of the Indian Game with the solid pawn structure of the Slav Defense (normally reached by 1…d5 2…c6). By playing …c6 before …d5, Black keeps the option of striking at the centre with either …d5 or …e5, and can sidestep some of White’s most theoretical anti-Slav lines.
Strategic Ideas
- Early …c6. The move supports …d5 but also restrains White’s pieces from occupying d5 themselves. Because the pawn chain remains fluid, Black can choose between Slav-type structures (…d5) and Caro-Kann-type plans (…d5xe4 followed by …Bf5).
- Piece Development First. Black often answers 3. Nf3 with 3…d5, transposing to a mainline Slav, but can also play 3…g6 to steer into a King’s-Indian with an extra tempo of …c6 on the board.
- Reduced Theory. Many gambit lines against the Slav (e.g., the Geller–Gambit 4. g4) cannot be reached with the knight already on f6, giving Black a more predictable repertoire.
Typical Continuations
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxc4 –> transposes to the main Slav Accepted
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 g6 –> a hybrid setup that resembles the King’s Indian but with the queen’s pawn still on d7
- 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 d5 4. e3 g6 → a Grünfeld-Slav structure
Historical and Practical Significance
The line was popularised in the late 1970s by Soviet grandmasters such as Lev Psakhis and Oleg Romanishin, who appreciated its strategic pliability. It is occasionally seen in modern elite play as a surprise weapon; for instance, Magnus Carlsen used it in rapid games during the 2020 Chessable Masters.
Model Game
An elegant illustration of the opening’s flexibility is the game Kasparov – Kramnik, Dos Hermanas 1996:
Black steers into a Slav Accepted structure but keeps enough fluidity to regroup the dark-squared bishop actively. Kramnik eventually neutralised Kasparov’s initiative and drew.
Interesting Nuggets
- The ECO classifies the Slav Indian under codes A53–A55, overlapping with the Old Indian Defence—a testament to the line’s hybrid character.
- Because the move 2…c6 is visually modest, many club players underestimate the opening. Yet engines rate Black’s position as fully sound, making it a potent surprise choice.
- In correspondence chess, some specialists employ the Slav Indian to sidestep the vast computer-checked theory of the mainline Slav and the ultra-sharp Grünfeld Defence.