English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense
The Anglo-Indian Defense is 1...Nf6 against the English, the most flexible reply Black has. The knight controls e4 and d5 and delays any pawn commitment, so White must choose between Nc3, Nf3, g3 and an immediate d4 before the structure is clear.
- Moves
- 1.c4 Nf6
- ECO
- A15, A17
- Engine
- +0.20 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
- Played
- 13,854 games in our lichess sample
- White scores
- 52.2%
Key ideas for both sides
White
- Nc3 on move two is the most common choice and prepares e4, which would kick the f6 knight.
- 2.d4 or 2.Nf3 heads toward Queen's Gambit or Catalan structures after ...e6 and ...d5.
- 2.g3 keeps it a pure English with a fianchetto, often meeting ...e6 with Bg2 and d4.
- Answer an early ...Bb4+ with Bd2, as in two of the engine lines, and keep developing.
Black
- ...e6 and ...d5 give a Queen's Gambit setup, the choice in all three engine lines.
- ...e5 reaches King's English positions with a knight already on f6.
- ...g6 heads for King's Indian or Grünfeld setups, depending on White's center.
- ...c5 gives symmetrical English play and avoids most of White's d4 systems.
Plans and pawn structure
No pawn structure is fixed yet. The real plans come one or two moves later, when Black chooses ...e6, ...e5, ...g6 or ...c5 and White chooses d4, e4 or a fianchetto. A useful rule: if White plays Nc3 and e4, Black must react in the center, often with ...e5 or ...d5. If White plays Nf3 and g3, the game stays slower and positional.
What the engine plays from here
Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.20: level. Its three top choices for White:
- +0.20 2.d4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5
- +0.19 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 d5 4.g3 Bb4+
- +0.16 2.g3 e6 3.Bg2 d5 4.d4 Bb4+
Pawns, from White's side.
How it scores on lichess
13,854 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 52.2%.
Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.
Where it goes next
- Anglo-Indian Defense, Queen's Knight Variation2.Nc3 · 4,099 games
- Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation2.d4 · 1,457 games
- Anglo-Indian Defense, King's Knight Variation2.Nf3 · 906 games
- Anglo-Slav Variation2.g3 · 431 games
- Achilles-Omega Gambit2.e4 · rare
- English Orangutan2.b4 · rare
- Symmetrical Variation, Mecking Variation2.Nf3 · rare
- Anglo-Grünfeld Defense, Korchnoi Variation2.Nc3 · rare
- Exchange Variation2.g3 · rare
How to play against it
As White, pick a system you know against each of Black's main replies rather than learning every line. As Black, choose your second move based on White's: ...e5 against Nc3, ...e6 or ...g6 against Nf3, and ...e6 and ...d5 against g3 setups.
Other lines with this name
The lichess opening list also files this line under the same name, though it reaches a different position: 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.cxd5 Nxd5 4.Nf3 c5 5.e3 e6.
Questions
What are the moves of the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense?
The English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense starts 1.c4 Nf6. Its ECO code is A15, A17.
Is the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense good for Black?
Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.20 at depth 20, which is level. In 13,854 lichess games from our sample, White scored 52.2%. A flexible and sound choice that suits Black players with a broad queen's pawn repertoire they can reach by transposition.
What is the main idea of the English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense?
Black develops a knight and waits for White to commit. The game can become a Queen's Gambit, King's Indian, Grünfeld or King's English depending on the next few moves.
What should White play next?
The engine's first choice is d4, with Nf3 and g3 close behind. 2.d4 claims the center and invites Queen's Gambit or Indian Defense structures.
Related lines
- English Opening
- King's English Variation
- Symmetrical Variation
- Agincourt Defense
- Anglo-Scandinavian Defense
- Great Snake Variation
- How to beat the English Openingguide
Updated October 2026. Sources and method.