Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Sämisch Variation
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 c5
The Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Sämisch Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO E15, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 c5. It is a line of the Queen's Indian Defense. White is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 125 times by this move order. White won 46%, 8% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 6. O-O (49% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.65 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 6. d5 exd5 7. cxd5 Bxd5 8. Nc3 Bb7)
- ECO
- E15
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
rn1qkb1r/pb1p1ppp/1p2pn2/2p5/2PP4/5NP1/PP2PPBP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 0 6- PGN
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 c5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1 | |
| 1500-1999 | 53 | |
| 2000+ | 71 | |
| All | 125 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. O-O | 61 (49%) | |
| 6. d5 | 27 (22%) | |
| 6. e3 | 16 (13%) | |
| 6. dxc5 | 14 (11%) | |
| 6. Nc3 | 2 (2%) | |
| 6. Bg5 | 2 (2%) | |
| 6. Be3 | 2 (2%) | |
| 6. a3 | 1 (1%) |
Master games
209 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 40%, draw 29%, Black 31%). The strongest:
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2872) – GM Bartosz Socko (2618) 1-0 · World Blitz 2019 · 2019-12-29
- GM Ivan Cheparinov (2678) – GM Ernesto Inarkiev (2693) 0-1 · 14th Karpov GM · 2013-09-02
- GM Evgeny Tomashevsky (2695) – GM Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli (2653) 1-0 · FIDE World Rapid 2014 · 2014-06-16
- GM Arman Pashikian (2612) – GM Ernesto Inarkiev (2698) 1/2-1/2 · 15th ch-EUR Indiv 2014 · 2014-03-08
- GM Ivan Cheparinov (2710) – GM Bartosz Socko (2593) 1/2-1/2 · World Rapid 2017 · 2017-12-26
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM Roshka_Yevgeniy (2842) – apollothedog (2693) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- Mallorca10Barcelona (2675) – Meatloaf927 (2737) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- Fide_MaSk (2664) – Meatloaf927 (2730) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Traditional Line 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7
Continuations
- Queen's Indian Defense: Buerger Variation E15 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 c5 6. d5 exd5 7. Ng5
- Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Rubinstein Variation E15 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 c5 6. d5 exd5 7. Nh4
More Queen's Indian Defense lines (all)
- Queen's Indian Defense E12
- Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation (3… b6 4. Nc3) E12
- Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov Variation, Botvinnik Attack E12
- Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation E12
- Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Andersson Variation E12
- Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Classical Variation E12
- Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Hedgehog Variation E12
- Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Kasparov Attack E12
- Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Main Line E12
- Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Marco Defense E12
- Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Modern Variation E12
- Queen's Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Petrosian Attack E12
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.