Queen's Indian Defense

7. QID with Direct Central Occupation 5...d5

Against 5.b3 Black plays ...d5 immediately. After the check on b4 and the bishop's return to b7, Black attacks the center with ...Nbd7 and ...c5.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 d5 6.Bg2 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Be7 8.O-O O-O 9.Ne5 Bb7 10.Nc3 Nbd7 11.Bf4 c5 12.Rc1 cxd4

Move by move

  1. 1.d4 – White occupies the center with the d-pawn, protected by the queen, and frees the c1 bishop. This is the move that starts Queen's Gambit, Catalan and Nimzo-Indian games.
  2. 1...Nf6 – Black develops the knight toward the center and immediately prevents 2.e4. With Nf6 Black stays flexible: he can choose between the Nimzo-Indian, Queen's Indian, King's Indian or the Queen's Gambit Declined.
  3. 2.c4 – White gains space on the queenside and attacks the d5 square from a distance. White now threatens Nc3 and e4 to build a big pawn center.
  4. 2...e6 – Black opens the diagonal for the f8 bishop and prepares both d5 and Bb4. Compared with 2...d5, Black stays elastic: he waits to see whether White plays Nc3, which allows the Nimzo-Indian.
  5. 3.Nf3 – White develops the kingside knight instead of Nc3 and avoids the Nimzo-Indian: without the knight on c3, ...Bb4 can't pin anything, but White controls e4 less.
  6. 3...b6 – The Queen's Indian Defense: Black prepares Bb7 or Ba6 to control e4 and the light squares. Without a knight on c3, ...Bb4 would have no pin.
  7. 4.g3 – White prepares the fianchetto to oppose Black's bishop on the long diagonal. However, the f1 bishop will no longer defend the c4 pawn.
  8. 4...Ba6 – The bishop attacks the c4 pawn, which the f1 bishop can no longer defend after g3. White must protect it with b3, Qa4, Qc2 or Nbd2.
  9. 5.b3 – White defends c4 with the b-pawn. It's the most solid answer, but it weakens the a5-e1 diagonal and the c3 square.
  10. 5...d5 – Black occupies the center right away: the d5 pawn controls e4 and increases the pressure on c4 together with the a6 bishop. Black also closes the g2 bishop's future diagonal.
  11. 6.Bg2 – White completes the fianchetto. The g2 bishop is for now blocked by the d5 pawn, but White prepares cxd5 or Ne5 to reopen it.
  12. 6...Bb4+ – Black gives check to force the white bishop to d2, where it takes the square away from the b1 knight. It's the same idea as in the line with ...c6.
  13. 7.Bd2 – White parries with the bishop. The bishop on d2 is less active and the b1 knight will have to develop to c3.
  14. 7...Be7 – Black retreats the bishop to e7 and leaves White's bishop on d2, where it is not very active. Black doesn't want to exchange an active bishop for a passive one.
  15. 8.O-O – White castles and puts the king safe. He now prepares Ne5 and Nc3 to attack Black's center.
  16. 8...O-O – Black castles and completes the kingside development. Black can now prepare ...c5 or ...Nbd7.
  17. 9.Ne5 – The knight jumps to e5 and frees the g2 bishop's diagonal, which now presses on d5. White prepares cxd5 to increase the pressure on the light squares.
  18. 9...Bb7 – The bishop returns to b7 to defend the long diagonal against the g2 bishop. On a6 it no longer had a role, because the c4 pawn is well defended.
  19. 10.Nc3 – White develops the knight to c3, where it increases the pressure on d5. The d2 bishop can now return to f4 or g5.
  20. 10...Nbd7 – Black develops the knight to d7 and offers to exchange the e5 knight. The d7 knight also supports the ...c5 break.
  21. 11.Bf4 – The bishop goes to f4, where it supports the e5 knight and controls c7. White lost a tempo with Bd2-f4, but the bishop is now active.
  22. 11...c5 – Black breaks with ...c5 and attacks d4. Black wants to open the c-file against White and exchange the d4 pawn, which supports the e5 knight.
  23. 12.Rc1 – The rook goes to c1 for the c-file that is opening. White prepares cxd5 or dxc5 to open the game.
  24. 12...cxd4 – Black captures on d4 and the pawn attacks the c3 knight. White has to move the knight or exchange on d7, and the support of the e5 knight decreases.

How to exploit the position

The d4 pawn attacks the c3 knight: White has to move it, often with Nb5, or exchange on d7 first. Black has gained space in the center, but must defend the d4 pawn.

Master tips

The d4 pawn with tempo

After ...cxd4 the pawn attacks the c3 knight and White has to lose time.

Model games