1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Bb4+ opens the Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... Bb4+, ECO E16. With 216,900 games on record, the patterns below come from the largest practical sample available.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 4.g3. Among the most prolific White practitioners are Borislav Ivkov (12 games), Milan Sr Vidmar (9 games), Max Euwe (9 games). Black-side regulars include Viktor Korchnoi (23 games), Laszlo Zsinka (20 games), Edgard Colle (14 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
Popularity and results vary sharply by rating level. The 1200 bracket has 2,193 games (0.00% of all games at that level); White wins 52.8%, Black 43.4%, 3.8% are drawn. By 1800, popularity is 0.01% and White's score is 50.8% to Black's 42.8%. Among 2500-rated players the line appears in 0.07% of games and draws spike to 12.2%, indicating tight preparation. White's edge erodes by 6.7pp from 1200 to 2500 Elo, suggesting Black's counterplay is easier to find with experience.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
Move choice is far from uniform in the Queen's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... Bb4+. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is Bd2, played 62.4% of the time. There are 3 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 99.8% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 1.29. By 2500, Bd2 dominates at 78.6% of replies; only 2 viable alternatives remain and 99.3% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 0.86.
Common Mistakes
- Neglecting development — It can feel productive to make extra pawn moves early, but falling behind in piece development is what loses most amateur games — especially in open positions where active pieces find squares fast.
- Letting White own the centre — Hypermodern openings concede central space on purpose, but only if you strike back in time. Delay the counter-blow and you end up squeezed.
Practice on Chessiverse
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