Indian: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 c5
Indian: 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 c5
Definition
The move–sequence 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 c5 is an Indian-Game set-up in which Black keeps his development flexible while aiming for an immediate …c5 break. White, by choosing the quiet 3.e3, avoids mainstream Queen’s-Gambit theory and the critical lines of the Nimzo-Indian (which arise after 3.Nc3). The position is classified in modern opening databases under ECO code A46/A47, sometimes called the “e3 Indian” or “Neo-Catalan Deferred,” depending on how it later transposes.
Strategic Ideas
- Black’s …c5 strike challenges the d4-pawn and can transpose to a Benoni-type structure, a Tarrasch French, or an English Defence, depending on how White reacts.
- Piece Flexibility: by postponing …d5 and …Bb4, Black keeps both the king-side bishop and the c8-bishop options open (…b6, …Bb7 or …Be7 followed by …d5).
- White’s Solid Shell: 3.e3 prepares Bd3 or Be2 and short castling, maintaining a healthy pawn chain (c2–d4–e3) reminiscent of many Colle-System positions.
- Transpositional Richness: the line can lead to Bogo-Indian, Queen’s Indian, Catalan, or even a Réti depending on whether White fianchettoes or plays c4.
Typical Plans
- For Black
- …b6 & …Bb7 to pressure the e4-square.
- …d5 after …c5 to enter an IQP or Tarrasch French structure.
- …cxd4 followed by …Bb4+ to provoke weaknesses.
- For White
- c4, turning the game into a Benoni/Benko or a Symmetrical English.
- b3 & Bb2, echoing a Neo-Catalan.
- Nbd2, Bd3, O-O, and c3, building a Colle-Zukertort style king-side attack with e4 at the right moment.
Historical & Practical Significance
Although less fashionable than 3.c4 or 3.Nc3, this set-up has been used by elite players to avoid heavy theory and reach maneuvering battles. Vladimir Kramnik adopted it several times in rapid play, while Ulf Andersson made it a staple of his positional repertoire in the 1980s. More recently, the line appeared in Carlsen – Karjakin, WCh 2016 (Game 4) after transposition.
Illustrative Game
Andersson – Miles, Tilburg 1984, followed the main moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 c5 4.Bd3 b6 5.O-O Bb7 6.c4 Be7, where Andersson gradually squeezed on the queenside and won a small but enduring edge. The game is a textbook demonstration of White’s plan to meet …c5 with c4 and a Maroczy-type bind.
Example Position to Visualize
After 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 c5 4.c4 cxd4 5.exd4 d5, the board features:
- Pawns: White d4/e3/c4 vs Black d5/c5 (now exchanged).
- Minor pieces: both sides have knights on f3/f6 and bishops ready to develop to d3,e2 or b4,e7.
- The tension on the half-open c-file gives Black counter-play, while White enjoys a healthy central pawn majority.
Interesting Facts
- The sequence is sometimes nick-named the “Zürich Indian” because it featured in several games at the 1953 Candidates tournament in Zürich.
- Computer engines initially underrated Black’s …c5 idea, but modern neural-network evaluations (e.g., of Lc0) consider the line fully playable.
- In club practice, the move order can be a clever anti-Catalan weapon; players expecting 3.g3 may suddenly face immediate central tension after …c5.