Chess Explained: the Queen's Indian

Chess Explained is a new series of books about chess openings. They are not theoretical works in the traditional sense, but more a series of lessons from a chess expert with extensive over-the-board experience with an opening. You will gain an understanding of the opening and the middlegames to which it leads, enabling you to find the right moves and plans in your own games. It is as if you were sitting at the board with a chess coach answering your questions about the plans for both sides, the ideas behind particular moves, and what specific knowledge you need to have.

The Queen's Indian is an important and popular opening at all levels of play. Black's flexible stance allows him to choose between a range of solid and dynamic structures. In turn, White can play flexibly, opposing Black's fianchetto, or can try to force the pace in the centre and start a hand-to-hand fight. It is an opening rich in nuances, and many of the modern main lines involve moves that look extravagant, but are backed up by a deep underlying logic.

Peter Wells is a grandmaster from England who regularly competes in international tournaments and team events. He was runner-up in the British Championship in 1991, 1999 and 2004, and qualified for the knockout stages of FIDE's world championship in 1997. Wells is a much-acclaimed writer, noted for his work on both opening play and middlegame strategy. He has a wealth of experience as a trainer, including acting as a second for British super-GMs Luke McShane and Michael Adams.