Old Indian Defence

Old Indian Defence

Definition

The Old Indian Defence is a classical reply to 1.d4 in which Black immediately plants a knight on f6, supports the centre with …d6, and then strikes back with …e5 while keeping the king-side bishop on its original diagonal. The most common move order is:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5.
In contrast to the much better known King’s Indian Defence, the Old Indian usually develops the dark-squared bishop to e7 (or occasionally g7 after transpositions) rather than fianchettoing it to g7, leading to firmer central control but a somewhat cramped position.

Typical Move Order and Branches

After the main moves (4.Nf3 is the most flexible for White) several distinct setups arise:

• Main Line (Ukrainian/Fianchetto Hybrid): 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.e4 Be7 6.Be2 O-O.
• Janowski Variation: 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Nxd4 g6 – a transposition toward certain King’s Indian structures but with the c1-bishop often remaining inside the pawn chain.
• 4.d5 !? Advance: White grabs space; play may continue 4…g6 5.e4 Bg7 with a Benoni-type structure in which Black’s centre is fixed but the long diagonal opens for counterplay.
• Exchange Variation: 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8 leads to an early queen exchange and a manoeuvring end-game battle reminiscent of certain Petroff lines.

Strategic Themes

• Solid but cramped: By placing pawns on d6 and e5 Black builds an “iron chain” that restricts White’s central breaks (e2-e4 or c4-c5) but also limits Black’s own pieces, especially the c8-bishop.
• Central tension: The pawn duo d6-e5 invites White to strike with d4-d5 or f2-f4; Black must be ready for these loosening attempts.
• Kingside attacking chances: Once Black completes …O-O, typical plans include …Nbd7, …Re8, …Bf8, and eventually …g6 – either to fianchetto late or to support pawn storms with …h5-h4.
• Queenside counterplay: Breaks with …c6 or …a5 seek to undermine White’s space while avoiding the direct clash on the e- and d-files.

Historical Background

In the early 1900s any defence beginning with …Nf6 against 1.d4 was usually called an Indian Defence. When players such as Tartakower and Nimzowitsch began experimenting with the fianchetto system that later became the King’s Indian, the more classical development with …Be7 was retroactively dubbed the “Old” Indian. It enjoyed a hey-day in the 1920s–40s, championed by masters like Rudolf Spielmann, Dawid Janowski, and later Efim Geller. Although eclipsed in popularity by the King’s Indian after World War II, it remains a surprise weapon at top level; Vladimir Kramnik, Boris Gelfand and Teimour Radjabov have each wheeled it out successfully in the computer era.

Illustrative Game

Boris Spassky – Bent Larsen, Belgrade (USSR vs World) 1970
Spassky tries to exploit the spatial edge, but Larsen’s …c6 and …d5 break equalises and the game is eventually drawn.

[[Pgn| d4|Nf6| c4|d6| Nc3|e5| Nf3|Nbd7| e4|Be7| Be2|O-O| O-O|c6| Re1|exd4| Nxd4|Re8| Bf1|Bf8| f3|d5| cxd5|cxd5| exd5|Rxe1| Qxe1|Nb6| Ndb5|Nbxd5| Nxd5|Nxd5| Kh1|Be6 |arrows|d6d5|squares|e5 d6]]

Famous Modern Uses

• Anand – Kramnik, Classical Chess, Dortmund 2001: Kramnik equalised comfortably and later won, showing that the line can stand up even at the very highest level.
• Gelfand – Caruana, Candidates 2014: Caruana held a solid draw with accurate piece placement, proving the defence’s continued theoretical viability.

Common Plans for Each Side

• White
  • Seize space with d4-d5 or f2-f4.
  • Recirculate the queen’s knight via d2–f1–g3 (or to c4) to attack d6 and f5.
  • Use a minority attack (b4-b5) when Black delays …c6.
• Black
  • Break with …c6 or …a5 to chip away at the queenside chain.
  • Relocate the f6-knight to d7 or h5 to free the f-pawn for …f5 in attacking setups.
  • Play …Re8, …Bf8 and sometimes …g6, obtaining a flexible defensive shell before counter-punching.

Typical Tactical Motifs

• e4-e5 lever: After White plays e4, the advance e4-e5 can explode the position if Black is too slow with …c6 or …Re8.
• Piece sacrifice on f5: With Black’s centre locked, sacrifices such as Bxf7+ (after a preparatory Ng5) can appear in sharp lines.
• Exchange on d4: Black often keeps tension, but a well-timed …exd4 followed by …Nc5 attacks both e4 and d3 squares.

Pros & Cons

• Pros for Black
  • Sound, resilient pawn structure without the theoretical minefields of the King’s Indian.
  • Early …e5 immediately questions White’s centre.
  • Flexible transpositional possibilities.
• Cons for Black
  • Cramped pieces, especially the c8-bishop.
  • If White achieves d4-d5 with full piece support, Black may be relegated to passive defence.
  • The early commitment of the e-pawn can leave weak squares (d5, f5) in end-games.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• The defence’s earliest recorded use is Tarrasch – Steinitz, Nuremberg 1896, where the future World Champion Steinitz adopted it as a one-off surprise.
• In the 1920s Aeroflot pilot Nikolai Grigoriev regularly played the Old Indian in Moscow cafés, claiming the cramped bishop made him feel “comfortably claustrophobic.”
• Some computers initially rated the line as slightly inferior for Black, but modern engines show near-equilibrium, especially in the 4.Nf3 Nbd7 main line (depth 40+).

When to Choose the Old Indian

Opt for the Old Indian if you enjoy solid, strategic struggles, prefer piece manoeuvring over concrete theoretical battles, and do not mind defending slightly passive positions in return for a robust pawn centre and latent attacking chances on the king side.