Indian Defense: Normal Variation
Chess opening · ECO A50 · 3 half-moves
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4
The Indian Defense: Normal Variation is reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4. It is Black's move in the position shown.
It branches from the Indian Defense with 2. c4.
How often it is played
The Indian Defense: Normal Variation and its variations appeared in 2.5% of games — 76,314 of 3,000,000 rated games sampled from Lichess in September 2026. That makes it number 16 of the openings listed here.
Results
White won 50%, 5.1% were drawn and Black won 45%. These are games between players of every strength and time control, so they say how the opening does in practice rather than how sound it is.
What the engine thinks
Stockfish, at depth 18, evaluates the position at +0.31 — a small edge for White. Positive numbers favour White; see reading the evaluation bar.
Similar openings
The most-played alternatives — what else could have been chosen around the move where this opening begins.
| Opening | Moves | Share of games |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Defense: Knights Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 | 1.1% |
| Indian Defense: Accelerated London System | 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 | 0.54% |
| Queen's Gambit | 1. d4 d5 2. c4 | 4.5% |
Main continuations
| Variation | Moves | Share of games |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Defense: West Indian Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 | 0.98% |
| Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 | 0.56% |
| Nimzo-Indian Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 | 0.24% |
| Benoni Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 | 0.24% |
| Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 | 0.16% |
| Catalan Opening | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 | 0.10% |
| Old Indian Defense: Czech Variation, with Nc3 | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. Nc3 c6 | 0.03% |
| Slav Indian | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c6 | 0.03% |
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