chessgames.com
Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players · Kibitzing
Old Indian, Main line (A55)
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 d6 3 Nc3 e5 4 Nf3 Nbd7 5 e4

Number of games in database: 1469
Years covered: 1903 to 2023
Overall record:
   White wins 46.7%
   Black wins 22.6%
   Draws 30.7%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Ivan Farago  17 games
Pia Cramling  8 games
Jan Hein Donner  8 games
Lutz Espig  48 games
Evgeny Prokopchuk  18 games
Lawrence Day  14 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
O Bernstein vs Najdorf, 1954
Rubinstein vs Nimzowitsch, 1912
Petrosian vs Larsen, 1960
Averbakh vs Kotov, 1953
Stahlberg vs Kotov, 1953
H W Shoosmith vs Nimzowitsch, 1907
<< previous chapter next chapter >>

 page 1 of 59; games 1-25 of 1,469  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Schlechter vs Tarrasch 1-0261903Monte CarloA55 Old Indian, Main line
2. E Cohn vs Nimzowitsch 0-1651906Altmunchen Club tournamentA55 Old Indian, Main line
3. H W Shoosmith vs Nimzowitsch 0-1291907Ostend-BA55 Old Indian, Main line
4. Vidmar vs Tartakower 0-1781909St. PetersburgA55 Old Indian, Main line
5. Rubinstein vs Nimzowitsch 1-0501912San SebastianA55 Old Indian, Main line
6. M Lowcki vs Burn 0-136191218th DSB Congress, BreslauA55 Old Indian, Main line
7. S Rubinstein vs Capablanca 0-1311913American NationalA55 Old Indian, Main line
8. A Hodges vs Kupchik  1-0571915Metropolitan Chess League IndividualA55 Old Indian, Main line
9. M Censer vs H Strick van Linschoten  1-0281915MatchA55 Old Indian, Main line
10. Olaf Smedal vs O Loewenborg  1-0271917Nordic Congress 8thA55 Old Indian, Main line
11. Schlechter vs Breyer 0-1521918Five Masters TournamentA55 Old Indian, Main line
12. A Hakansson vs P Johner  0-1291920Gothenburg BA55 Old Indian, Main line
13. Tarrasch vs Euwe 0-1391922Bad PistyanA55 Old Indian, Main line
14. Gruenfeld vs Euwe 1-0401922Bad PistyanA55 Old Indian, Main line
15. W Schelfhout vs H Strick van Linschoten  0-1401922AmsterdamA55 Old Indian, Main line
16. F Bohatirchuk vs S F Lebedev  1-0381923USSR ChampionshipA55 Old Indian, Main line
17. Alekhine vs E Spencer 1-0491923Simul, 31bA55 Old Indian, Main line
18. A Vajda vs M Golmayo  1-0341924Paris Unofficial OlympiadA55 Old Indian, Main line
19. A Selezniev vs Ilyin-Zhenevsky  1-0531924USSR ChampionshipA55 Old Indian, Main line
20. Saemisch vs J W te Kolste 1-0261925Baden-BadenA55 Old Indian, Main line
21. Rubinstein vs D Przepiorka 1-0331925MarienbadA55 Old Indian, Main line
22. E J Roesch vs Reshevsky  0-15519271st NCF CongressA55 Old Indian, Main line
23. R Crepeaux vs M L Hanauer  ½-½241928The Hague OlympiadA55 Old Indian, Main line
24. A Smorodsky vs V Nenarokov  1-0471929Ch TbilisiA55 Old Indian, Main line
25. Kashdan vs A Kevitz  1-0461930Manhattan CC-chA55 Old Indian, Main line
 page 1 of 59; games 1-25 of 1,469  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
Feb-27-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  waddayaplay: Why isn't this played at highest level anymore? It seems sound enough.
Aug-16-04  tomh72000: See Old Indian (A53) for some discussion. IM Lawrence Day claims it to be sound, and in fact more solid thahn the KID.
Oct-04-04  tacticsjokerxxx: maybe because it's "old"? haha.
Nov-20-04  Knight13: Very likely to be the Center Grabber Opening.
Nov-20-04  gauer: The Old Indian lines are some of my favourite lines too, sometimes delaying Nf6 in favour of responding 1 ... d6, 2 ... Bg4 (if favourable), (2 (if Bg4 is unfavouable) or 3)...Nbd7, and now sometimes choosing c5 or e5, depending on whether an early f4 comes or not, then followed by Nf6. I enjoy playing the Philidor and some of the Two Knights / Hungarian / Semi-Italian Hybrids (see Oxford Companion to Chess for opening lines discussion if you don't know the semi-Italian move order), too, which also suits my repetoire. And the d6 lines seem to be the best (least riskiest) way to get here. I also think it's sound.
Nov-21-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  IMlday: 1.d4 d6 is a Bohatirchuk move order.
After 2.Nf3 Bg4 3.e4 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 is a line he was playing already in the 40's. Black aims for a French type set up with d6-d5 but has well developed the problem B/c8. Against 2.c4 he liked 2..Nd7 but later Suttles preferred 2..e5 since Black has little in the endgame eg Zugic-Day, Ontario Closed 1997 went 3.de de 4.Qd8 Kd8 5.Nc3 Be6 6.b3 Nc6 7.Bb2 Kc8 8.0-0-0 Nf6 9.h3 Bc5 10.e3 Nfd7 11.Nf3 f6 12.Bd3 a5 13.g4 Be7 with a robust equality (.5-.5, 45). The only thing 'wrong' with 1..d6 is that White can play 2.e4 making a Pirc.
Mar-25-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Opening of the Day:
Old Indian, Main line
1.d4 ♘f6 2.c4 d6 3.♘c3 e5 4.♘f3 ♘bd7 5.e4
Nov-01-13  Kikoman: <Opening of the Day>

Old Indian, main line
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. Nc3 e5 4. Nf3 Nbd7 5. e4


click for larger view

Opening Explorer

Aug-02-17  bla bla: Kasparov vs Larsen, 1982

NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion.

Please observe our posting guidelines:

  1. No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
  2. No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts.
  3. No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members.
  4. Nothing in violation of United States law.
  5. No cyberstalking or malicious posting of negative or private information (doxing/doxxing) of members.
  6. No trolling.
  7. The use of "sock puppet" accounts to circumvent disciplinary action taken by moderators, create a false impression of consensus or support, or stage conversations, is prohibited.
  8. Do not degrade Chessgames or any of it's staff/volunteers.

Please try to maintain a semblance of civility at all times.

Blow the Whistle

See something that violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform a moderator.


NOTE: Please keep all discussion on-topic. This forum is for this specific opening only. To discuss chess or this site in general, visit the Kibitzer's Café.

Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
All moderator actions taken are ultimately at the sole discretion of the administration.

Home | About | Login | Logout | F.A.Q. | Profile | Preferences | Premium Membership | Kibitzer's Café | Biographer's Bistro | New Kibitzing | Chessforums | Tournament Index | Player Directory | Notable Games | World Chess Championships | Opening Explorer | Guess the Move | Game Collections | ChessBookie Game | Chessgames Challenge | Store | Privacy Notice | Contact Us

Copyright 2001-2023, Chessgames Services LLC