The Queen's Indian Defense entails a formation in which both parties abstain from a direct engagement in the center, at least during the initial stage of development. The birth and evolution of the opening was linked closely to that of the Nimzo-Indian Defense.

The main variation of the Queen's Indian arises after 1 P-Q4, N-KB3, 2 P-QB4, P-K3, 3 N-KN3, P-QN3. Since White does not threaten to play P-K4 immediately, Black is able to undertake the development of the queen side. The fianchetto of the Queen Bishop is an effort to establish control over his Q4 and K5 squares. The model games for this type of development were played by Nimzovich against Gregory and Bernstein in the period of 1913-1914.