Chess Openings Lab
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Indian Defense: Wade-Tartakower Defense

The Wade-Tartakower Defense is 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d6, a modest ...d6 that keeps King's Indian, Old Indian and ...Bg4 setups open. White can claim space with c4 and e4 or fianchetto, while Black aims for ...e5 or ...g6 and ...Bg7.

Moves
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d6
ECO
A46
Engine
+0.49 · a slight edge for White (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
4,067 games in our lichess sample
White scores
51.3%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • 3.c4 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.e4 builds a full King's Indian center; Be3 then supports d4 against ...e5.
  • 3.g3 and Bg2 with O-O keeps things solid, and c4 comes later against ...d5.
  • 3.Nc3 with Bf4 and e4 aims at a Pirc-like position; Nb5 can hit a bishop on d6.

Black

  • Fianchetto with ...g6, ...Bg7 and ...O-O, then break with ...e5 as the top engine line shows.
  • ...Bg4 pins the f3 knight and fights for e5 before ...Nbd7 and ...e5.
  • After 3.Nc3, ...d5 switches to a Queen's Pawn setup; after Bf4 and Nb5, give up the dark bishop for the knight.

Plans and pawn structure

Black's ...d6 aims for ...e5, so White decides how much center to build first. With c4, Nc3 and e4, White gets a King's Indian where Black's ...e5 break meets Be3 and a big center. With g3 and Bg2, White stays solid and Black often switches to ...d5 and ...c6. In the ...Bg4 lines, Black trades the bishop for the f3 knight and plays ...e5 with pieces on dark squares.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.49: a slight edge for White. Its three top choices for White:

  1. +0.49 3.c4 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.e4 O-O
  2. +0.38 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.O-O d5
  3. +0.35 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 e6 5.Nb5 Bd6

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

4,067 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 51.3%.

under 120050.2%
1200–159948.2%
1600–199951.2%
2000 and up54.3%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

How to play against it

As White, 3.c4 is the most ambitious answer, steering toward a King's Indian with an e4 center. If Black pins with ...Bg4, h3 asks the bishop to decide. Avoid an early e4 without Nc3, which lets ...e5 and ...Nxe4 tactics appear.

Questions

What are the moves of the Indian Defense: Wade-Tartakower Defense?

The Indian Defense: Wade-Tartakower Defense starts 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d6. Its ECO code is A46.

Is the Indian Defense: Wade-Tartakower Defense good for Black?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.49 at depth 20, which is a slight edge for White. In 4,067 lichess games from our sample, White scored 51.3%. A flexible choice for King's Indian and Old Indian players; White gets an easy center by playing c4 and e4.

What is the main idea of the Indian Defense: Wade-Tartakower Defense?

Black keeps the game flexible with ...d6, aiming for ...e5 or a King's Indian fianchetto. White chooses between a big center with c4 and e4 or a calm fianchetto.

What should White play next?

The engine's first choice is c4, with g3 and Nc3 close behind. 3.c4 grabs space and steers toward a King's Indian where White builds the full e4 and d4 center.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.