# Indian Defence
### 1...Nf6

Black's 1...Nf6 in response to 1.d4 is characteristic of the various Indian defences. Unlike 1...d5, which fights for the center in traditional fashion by occupying it with pawns, Indian systems reflect the hypermodern approach to opening theory. In such openings, Black often allows White to construct a classical pawn center, but then attempts to attack it with pieces and undermine it with timely pawn advances. By delaying the movement of their own central pawns, Black retains a certain degree of flexibility at the cost of ceding the center to White.
It should be noted that while 1...Nf6 often leads to Indian systems, transpositions back to other openings such as the Queen's Gambit are not uncommon. As in any opening, both players should remain aware of these possibilities.
The main continuation for White is 2.c4. In fact, there are many playable moves at this point, but most of them either transpose back to a typical 2.c4 position or into other more or less orthodox 1.d4 openings. Some lines, such as 2.Bg5, may lead to strange positions, but even these may transpose or become similar to other mainstream 1.d4 openings.
Hopefully, this gives some background as to why 2.c4 is the main move discussed in opening books. Feel free to play either 2.Nf3, 2.Nc3, or even 2.c3, 2.Bf4, 2.Bg5. Even so, learning the main positions – and, more importantly, the strategies arising from 2.c4 – will not be time wasted.
2.Nd2 is a weak move by White, because Black can play the Budapest Trap with 2.Nd2 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.h3 Ne3.

### Statistics

Estimated next move popularity: c4 62%, Nf3 28%, Bg5 5%, Nc3 2%, g3 1%, e3 1%, Bf4 and other moves less than 1%

## Theory table

For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation.
1.d4 Nf6
| | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Evaluation | Notes |
| Nimzo-Indian Defence | c4 e6 | Nc3 Bb4 | e3 O-O | Bd3 d5 | Nf3 c5 | = | |
| Queen's Indian Defence | c4 e6 | Nf3 b6 | a3 Bb7 | Nc3 d5 | cxd5 Nxd5 | = | |
| Bogo-Indian Defence | c4 e6 | Nf3 Bb4+ | Bd2 Qe7 | g3 Nc6 | Nc3 Bxc3 | += | |
| King's Indian Defence | c4 g6 | Nc3 Bg7 | e4 d6 | Nf3 O-O | Be2 e5 | = | |
| Grünfeld Defence | c4 g6 | Nc3 d5 | cxd5 Nxd5 | e4 Nxc3 | bxc3 Bg7 | = | |
| Benoni Defence | c4 c5 | d5 e6 | Nc3 exd5 | cxd5 d6 | e4 g6 | += | |
| Budapest Gambit | c4 e5 | dxe5 Ng4 | Bf4 Nc6 | Nf3 Bb4+ | Nbd2 Qe7 | += |
| Queen's Pawn Game | Nf3 g6 | c4 Bg7 | Nc3 O-O | e4 d6 | Be2 e5 | = | King's Indian Defence, 5.Nf3 |
| Queen's Pawn Game | Nf3 g6 | c4 Bg7 | Nc3 d5 | cxd5 Nxd5 | e4 Nxc3 | = | Grünfeld Defence, 4.Nf3 |
| Queen's Pawn Game | Nf3 e6 | c4 | | | | += | Queen's Indian Defence Bogo-Indian Defence |
| Queen's Pawn Game | Nf3 d5 | | | | | = | Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation, 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 |
| Queen's Pawn Game | Nf3 c5 | d5 b5 | Bg5 Ne4 | Bh4 Bb7 | | += | |
| Indian Game: London System | Bf4 | | | | | = | |
| | Bf4 b6 | Nc3 e6 | a3 Bb7 | e3 a6 | | = | |
| Blackmar-Diemer Gambit | Nc3 d5 | e4 dxe4 | f3 exf3 | Nxf3 Bg4 | h3 Bh5 | = | |
| Trompowsky Attack | Bg5 Ne4 | Bf4 c5 | f3 Qa5+ | c3 Nf6 | Nbd2 cxd4 | = | |
| Richter-Veresov Attack | Bg5 d5 | Nc3 Nbd7 | Nf3 h6 | Bh4 e6 | e4 dxe4 | = | |
| | g3 g6 | Bg2 Bg7 | | | | = | |
| Paleface Attack | f3 g6 | | | | | = | |
| Bronstein Gambit | g4 Nxg4 | | | | | +/= | |
| Indian Defence: New Polish Variation | b4 e6 | | | | | = | |
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## References

* Nunn's Chess Openings. 1999. John Nunn (Editor), Graham Burgess, John Emms, Joe Gallagher. ISBN 1-85744-221-0.
* Modern Chess Openings: MCO-14. 1999. Nick de Firmian, Walter Korn. ISBN 0-8129-3084-3.
* Kasparov, Garry, & Keene, Raymond 1989 Batsford chess openings 2. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9.