Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

← queenssgamble / Openings

Playing Black · 16 rapid games · 6W 9L 1D · Your opponents choose this

Indian Game

Equal against the London, then 1.5 blunders a game: your worst opening.

Score41%−19% vs your average
Win chance after move 1250%−3% vs your average
Blunders per game1.50+0.73 vs your average
Clock left at move 109:26−6s vs your average
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Your most common line

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 e6 3. e3 c5

What it says about you

You play 1...Nf6, and opponents mostly answer with the London (2.Bf4). You then choose ...e6 and ...c5, the principled setup that challenges White's d4 at once. Your opening choice is fine: win chance is 50 at both move 12 and move 20. The problem is what happens after that. This is your worst opening at 41% over 16 games, with 1.5 blunders per game, double your 0.77 baseline.

How you play it

You get normal, balanced positions, so you are not losing to prep. But you are losing slower games: the average game lasts 47 moves, 6 losses were decided in the middlegame and 3 in the endgame, and all 9 losses ended in resignation. Endgame technique errors are the top loss cause (3). Conversion is decent at 6 of 8, but your recent mistakes show winning positions at 82%, 86% and 88% being given back. The plain Indian Game tag scores 20% over 5 games, while the games tagged London System score 62.5% over 4. Both samples are tiny.

What you're missing

  1. 01

    Striking the centre when it is there: 5...d6 instead of ...e5 threw away an 88% position (to 46%). When White drifts early in a London, the central break is usually the refutation.

  2. 02

    Taking the London bishop: 21...Qg5 instead of ...Nxg3 (82% to 54%) passed up the chance to take the Bg3. Grabbing that bishop, usually via ...Nh5 or ...Ne4 and ...Nxg3, gives you the bishop pair and removes White's best minor piece.

  3. 03

    Piece coordination: 20...Qf6 instead of ...Nf6 (47% to 10%) was a queen move where a knight regrouping was needed. You are reaching for the queen too early in these structures.

  4. 04

    Endgame technique: 40...Ra3 instead of ...Bc8 (86% to 43%), and 3 of your 9 losses were endgame technique errors, in games that last 47 moves on average.

How to improve it

  1. 01

    Against 2.Bf4 e6 3.e3 c5 4.c3, play 4...Qb6 to hit b2, since the Bf4 has left c1. After 5.Qb3, 5...c4 6.Qc2 d5 gains queenside space and gives a clear plan.

  2. 02

    Once White plays Bg3, aim for ...Bd6 to trade it or ...Nh5 to take it. Accept hxg3 opening the h-file only when you can meet it with ...g6 or ...f5 and keep the bishop pair.

  3. 03

    Consider 2...c5 3.d5 as an alternative: 3...Qb6 4.Nc3 or 4.Bc1 lines, or 3...e6 or 3...d6 Benoni-style, which punish the London's early Bf4 more directly than a symmetrical ...e6 setup.

  4. 04

    In these long, equal games, slow down between moves 20 and 30, where most of your decisive errors happen, and bank less time early. You reach move 10 with 566 seconds, the lowest of your openings.

Where it goes wrong

Your losses in this opening, by where and how the decisive mistake happened.

Phase of the decisive mistake

middlegame6n=6
endgame3n=3

What the mistake was

Endgame technique error3n=3
Big positional error (no simple tactic)2n=2
Didn't see opponent's 2–3 move combination2n=2
Walked into a fork1n=1
Hung a piece (left it undefended)1n=1

Variations you reach

Main line520%
London System463%

Winning positions converted here: 75% (6 of 8).

Recent mistakes in this opening

Your move in red, Stockfish's in black.

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Positional error · 8:51 left
20… Qf6? Best was Nf6. 47% → 10%
vs RedBrilliant3dawy (2139) · 15-01-26 →
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Positional error · 9:46 left
5… d6? Best was e5. 88% → 46%
vs RobertoFernandez1958 (2194) · 14-01-26 →
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Missed a tactic · 8:06 left
21… Qg5? Best was Nxg3. 82% → 54%
vs RobertoFernandez1958 (2194) · 14-01-26 →
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Endgame error · 6:30 left
40… Ra3? Best was Bc8. 86% → 43%
vs arminsalassa2023 (2108) · 02-01-26 →

Next steps

01

Prep ...Qb6 against the London

Learn 2.Bf4 e6 3.e3 c5 4.c3 Qb6 5.Qb3 c4 to move 10, so you know how to gain queenside space rather than drifting into equality.

02

Hunt the London bishop

In every London game, look for ...Nh5 or ...Ne4 with ...Nxg3 by move 15. It is the move you missed at 82%.

03

Drill rook-and-minor endings

Do 10 technique exercises in rook plus bishop endings. That is where your 86% position became 43% and where 3 losses were decided.