How to Play the Indian Defense: Accelerelated London System e6 as White

With 2.Bf4 you have adopted the London System, and Black's reply ...e6 signals they are keeping their options open. They could still play ...d5, ...c5, or a Queen's Indian setup with ...b6. The key for you as White is to seize space in the centre before Black can challenge it. Your best move, chosen over a million times in practice, is 3...d5 — immediately occupying the centre and preparing to develop your e-pawn to e3. This is the hallmark of the Accelerated London: you build a solid, hard-to-attack centre with pawns on d4 and e3, backed by the bishop on f4 and a knight on f3. The statistics support this: White scores 50.7% in the d5 line, with Black winning only 44.9% of the time. Your goal is to reach a comfortable middlegame where your centre is secure and your pieces have clear squares.

Stockfish 16 evaluates this position at +0.26, a small but clear advantage for you. That means you are slightly better — nothing flashy, but a genuine edge to nurse through the opening. The engine's preferred plan is: d5 e3 Bd6 Bd3. Let's break that down. You play 4.e3, solidifying your pawn centre and opening the diagonal for your light-squared bishop. After Black develops with ...Bd6 (their most natural square, attacking your bishop on f4), you simply retreat with Bd3 — not Bd3? Yes, Bd3, placing the bishop on an active diagonal pointing at Black's kingside. Notice that the engine does not recommend trading bishops on d6: keeping your f4-bishop and later rerouting it is part of the system. The resulting positions are flexible, with options to castle kingside and later consider breaks like c4 or e4, depending on Black's setup.

Black has several ways to respond to 3.Nf3, and knowing the scoring rates will help you decide your approach. Here are the most-played continuations and what they mean for you: - 3...d5 (1,018,070 games, White scores 50.7%): The most common and solid reply. You play 4.e3 and continue with your London setup, as described above. Black is playing solidly — your edge is small but consistent. - 3...c5 (347,644 games, White scores 48.3%): Black strikes at your centre immediately. This is a more ambitious try, and your score drops slightly — but you are still fine. Play 4.e3 and prepare to meet ...cxd4 with exd4, keeping your centre intact. - 3...b6 (181,949 games, White scores 49.2%): A Queen's Indian approach. Black wants to fianchetto on queenside. Continue with 4.e3 and Bb5+ or c4 depending on taste; the statistics show a balanced fight. - 3...Be7 (160,742 games, White scores 51.5%): A quiet developing move. This is actually good news for you — Black delays central action, and your score jumps above 51%. Play 4.e3 and develop naturally. - 3...Nc6 (138,137 games, White scores 54.4%): Black puts a knight on c6 early, which can be a slight misstep. This is your best-scoring line at 54.4% — you can consider meeting it with c3 or d5, challenging the knight. - 3...Bb4+ (95,124 games, White scores 55.7%): Black checks from b4, which is actually your highest-scoring line at 55.7%! Simply block with c3 or Bd2, gaining time as Black's bishop moves again.

The Accelerated London System e6 is an excellent choice if you want reliable, positionally sound play without memorising endless theory. As White, you steer the game toward structures where you have a comfortable edge (+0.26). The system works against virtually any Black setup — whether they play ...d5, ...c5, or fianchetto — because your core moves (d4, Bf4, Nf3, e3, Bd3) are almost automatic. The statistics confirm this is not just theoretical: across over 2.2 million games, White wins 50.9% of the time, compared to Black's 45.0%, with only 4.1% draws. For a club player, those numbers are attractive — you win more than you lose without needing to know sharp tactical lines. The typical middlegames are slow-build affairs where piece play and pawn breaks matter more than brute-force attacks.