The Old Indian Defense arises after 1. 2.. Across 58,872 Lichess games between 900 and 1700 (September 2026), you score 51.6% with White. Players above 2200 mostly answer , planning to push that pawn on to e4; at your level the usual reply is . The position is worth 0.22 of a pawn in your favor, close to level. Over the board, 2300+ players score 59 of every 100 points with White.
Lichess games from September 2026 (30,577,162 rated 900 to 1700) and 31,791 over-the-board games rated 2300+ from the last 12 months. Data updated: October 14, 2026.
13 named lines in this family; 1 with their own page.
The opening's share in each Lichess rating band.
Against 2., opponents rated 900 to 1700 choose in 37 of every 100 games and in just 9. Online players above 2200 flip that: is their top choice, at 37 of every 100. When does appear in your games, you take with 3. 38 times in 100, while strong players prefer 3., which guards d4 and hits e5. You score 50 of every 100 points with 3., but strong players who take on e5 manage only about 44, so the capture holds up better at your level than higher up. After , your peers retreat with 4. 87 times in 100; strong players split almost evenly between 4. and 4..
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37.4% | 49.7% | 29.5% | no data | |
| 11.5% | 48.4% | 14.7% | no data | |
| 10.8% | 54.6% | no data | no data | |
| 9.2% | 52.6% | 37.5% | 76.2% | |
| 8.9% | 51.3% | 8.4% | 23.8% | |
| 4.9% | 48.6% | 5.0% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 2.8% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38.1% | 50.2% | 23.8% | no data | |
| 24.0% | 53.4% | 16.0% | 53.8% | |
| 15.1% | 54.4% | 16.3% | no data | |
| 11.5% | 53.2% | 9.6% | no data | |
| 8.5% | 54.6% | 33.0% | 46.2% | |
| 2.2% | 47.6% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 0.9% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34.8% | 54.4% | 11.3% | no data | |
| 29.3% | 49.6% | 61.4% | 100.0% | |
| 18.0% | 56.4% | 12.3% | no data | |
| 7.3% | 54.5% | no data | no data | |
| 5.0% | 64.1% | 6.2% | no data | |
| 3.4% | 53.2% | 8.9% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86.6% | 53.2% | 45.5% | no data | |
| 13.4% | 46.3% | 49.0% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 5.5% | no data |
The line strong players follow runs 3. 4. 5. 6.. It is a fight over one pawn. Your opponent marches it from e7 to e4 to take squares away from your knight and grab space on your kingside. You keep d4 and c4 where they are, aim your pieces at that pawn, and turn down the trade your opponent is fishing for.
hits d4, which only your queen guards at that moment. 3. adds a second defender and also attacks e5, already under fire from your d4 pawn. Attacked twice and defended once, the pawn can't stay as it is, so steps out of the double attack and kicks your knight off f3.
Your knight doesn't back off. 4. jumps forward and attacks e4, which nothing defends right then, while also eyeing f7 and h7. That is why follows: strong players pick it 93 times in 100. The f5 pawn props up e4 and sets up the e4-f5 chain.
That chain comes at a price. The e4 pawn takes d3 and f3 away from your pieces, but the f5 pawn blocks the c8 bishop's diagonal toward g4 and h3, and your opponent's whole center now leans on a lone defender of e4.
5. develops a piece and brings a second attacker to e4: two knights against a single defender, the f5 pawn. Still, don't take on e4. If you give a knight for that pawn and recapture with the other one, you've traded a piece for two pawns. The c3 knight also keeps an eye on d5 and b5.
attacks your knight on g5. Your c1 bishop covers it, so nothing hangs, but your opponent is offering bishop for knight. 6., chosen by 73 of every 100 strong players, says no to the trade: the knight stays on the board and can hop to f4 or back to g5. You end up with your d4 and c4 pawns intact, the c3 knight bearing down on e4, and both bishops still yours.
At your level this position rarely shows up. Against you play 3. in only 1 game in 12, and after nearly 9 times in 10 you retreat with 4., which gets the knight out of the pawn's way and lets it hit e4 again from d2. In your games 4. turns up 13 times in 100 and scores 46 of every 100 points, against 53 for 4., though that sample is still small.
| Move | Strong games | Chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| 6,625 | 37.7% | |
| 2,505 | 33.1% | |
| 908 | 61.6% | |
| 541 | 49.0% | |
| 264 | 92.8% | |
| 227 | 48.0% | |
| 159 | 42.1% | |
| 60 | 73.3% |
After 3. , 4. releases the central tension. Following 5. 6. 7., your opponent can't castle, but the c6 knight guards the e5 pawn and you give away 0.66 of a pawn. Club players rarely punish it. You play it 45 times in 100 and score 50, against 49 with 4..
45 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.7 pawns of advantage. It scores 50.4%; scores 48.9%.
Against , 3. shuts your c1 bishop in behind its own pawn and passes up e4. Your opponent plays , and after 4. 5. 6. that bishop still can't reach f4 or g5. You give away 0.61 of a pawn; 3. was the move. At your level it barely matters: both score 52 of every 100.
6 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.6 pawns of advantage. It scores 52.0%; scores 52.1%.
After , 3. lets your opponent capture first. 4. hits your queen, and after 5. 6. you've moved her twice while your opponent developed. That costs 0.80 of a pawn. Take first with 3.: you score 60 of every 100 points, against 52 after the mistake, a gap that does show up at your level.
16 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 52.2%; scores 60.0%.
In the Czech Variation, after , 4. puts your bishop where a pawn can hit it. After 5. 6. 7. you've lost the bishop pair and picked up doubled pawns on f2 and f4. It costs 0.65 of a pawn; 4. is better. At your level the result hardly moves: 48 against 50 of every 100.
5 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.7 pawns of advantage. It scores 48.4%; scores 49.7%.
covers e5 ahead of , and 4. parks your bishop right where that pawn will hit it. After 5. 6. 7., your opponent trades knight for bishop and leaves you with doubled g-pawns. At 0.93 of a pawn, it's the costliest slip here. Play 4.: you score 51 of every 100 points, not 48.
6 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.9 pawns of advantage. It scores 48.2%; scores 51.2%.
If your opponent plays , that pawn has moved twice. 3. trades it off at once, and only their queen can recapture on d5. 3. gives them time to hold the center: 4. 5. 6.. It costs 0.76 of a pawn, but at your level it goes unpunished: you score 66 of every 100 either way.
43 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 66.0%; scores 66.4%.
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 30,910 | ||
| Not castled | 7,249 | |
| Not castled | 5,713 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 5,335 |
| 3,353 | ||
| 2,939 |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 82 | ||
| 13 | ||
| Not castled | 11 | |
| Not castled | 6 | |
| Not castled | 2 | |
| 2 |
1. 2. 3. · 5,835 amateur games · 4 over the board
1. 2. 3. : the c6 pawn covers d5; you score 50 of every 100 here.
1. 2. 3. · A53
1,761 amateur games · White's score: 49.1%
1. 2. 3. · A54
1,690 amateur games · White's score: 50.6%
1. 2. 3. · A53
1,682 amateur games · White's score: 52.1%
1. 2. 3. · A54
892 amateur games · White's score: 52.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. · A54
657 amateur games · White's score: 50.2%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · A55
267 amateur games · White's score: 49.4%
1. 2. 3. 4. · A53
188 amateur games · White's score: 54.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. · A53
64 amateur games · White's score: 39.1%
1. 2. 3. 4. · A53
51 amateur games · White's score: 56.9%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · A54
41 amateur games · White's score: 45.1%
1. 2. 3. · A53
3 amateur games · White's score: 50.0%