King's Indian Attack
Initial Moves: 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.O-O Be7 5.d3
Strategic Summary & Main Idea
The King's Indian Attack is the King's Indian Defence played with White and an extra tempo: Nf3, g3, Bg2, O-O, d3 and, at the right moment, e4. The position after 5.d3 measures +0.02 — the extra tempo does not turn into an advantage, and that says something about the nature of the setup. It does not press; it waits. Bobby Fischer used it against the Sicilian and the French in elite events precisely because the plan is always the same and the opponent's preparation is worth nothing. Where it really works is against structures that have already committed: against the Caro-Kann with ...g6, the position measures +0.86.
The pawn structure this opening produces
The King's Indian Attack puts pawns on d3 and e4 against Black's centre, and the imbalance is born of the next decision: the e4-e5 advance. After it the structure locks diagonally — white pawns on d3 and e5 against black pawns on d5 and e6 — and each side attacks on the flank its own chain points towards. White plays on the kingside, with Nf1-h2, h4 and f4, and Black on the queenside, with ...c4, ...b5 and ...a5. It is a race, and anyone who understands the structure knows where not to waste time: a pawn move outside your own wing is a move thrown away. The other half of the structure is the g2 bishop. While Black's pawn stands on d5 the bishop is biting granite; that is why White only plays e4 when the exchange on e4 opens the diagonal in his favour, and never before. It is the Colle's mistake in different clothes: the setup is easy to build and the break is hard to time. Against black fianchettos the setup loses force, because the g7 bishop cancels the g2 one and the flank attack meets a well-covered king — which is exactly why the line against the Caro-Kann with ...g6 measures high: there Black has spent time on ...c6, which helps neither half of the plan.
Typical Plans for White
- Build the whole setup (Nf3, g3, Bg2, O-O, d3, Nbd2) and only then choose the moment for e4
- Push e4-e5 to lock the centre and win the kingside, following up with Nf1-h2, h4 and f4
- Use the setup as anti-preparation against the Sicilian and the French, as Fischer did: the plan is the same against both
- Against the Caro-Kann with ...g6, play e5 early — the highest-measuring line here at +0.86
- Never break with e4 before Nbd2: without the knight, the central exchanges favour Black
Typical Plans for Black
- Attack on the queenside with ...c5, ...b5 and ...c4, the side White's own pawn chain points away from
- Keep a pawn on d5 to leave the g2 bishop without a diagonal
- Play ...Bg4 and trade on f3 before White has the setup built, or ...e5, contesting the centre head-on
- Against the setup in the French, continue with ...Nc6, ...Be7 and ...O-O and let White spend the time: the line measures −0.18
- Do not lock the centre with ...d4 without counterplay ready — the advance hands White the kingside for free
Main Variations of the King's Indian Attack
| Variation | Move Sequence | Evaluation | Style / Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic setup (5.d3) | 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.O-O Be7 5.d3 |
+0.02 | The system's starting position; a King's Indian in reverse whose extra tempo buys nothing |
| Main line with e4 and Re1 | 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.O-O Be7 5.d3 O-O 6.Nbd2 c5 7.e4 Nc6 8.Re1 b5 9.e5 Nd7 |
0.00 | Locked centre and a race on opposite wings; the setup's classical structure |
| Against the French Defence | 1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.Ngf3 c5 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Be7 7.O-O O-O 8.e5 Nd7 9.Re1 b5 |
−0.18 | Fischer's configuration; measured, Black is already marginally better |
| Against the Sicilian | 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.Nbd2 Bd6 6.Bg2 Nge7 7.O-O O-O 8.Re1 b5 |
+0.24 | Black takes queenside space while White attacks on the other wing |
| Against the Caro-Kann with ...g6 | 1.e4 c6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 g6 4.Ngf3 Bg7 5.g3 Nf6 6.Bg2 O-O 7.O-O Qc7 |
+0.86 | The time spent on ...c6 serves neither black plan; the highest evaluation in this entry |
| Black with ...Bg4 and ...e5 | 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 c6 4.O-O Bg4 5.d3 Nbd7 6.Nbd2 e5 7.e4 Bd6 8.h3 Bh5 |
+0.25 | Black contests the centre head-on before the setup is complete |
Evaluations measured by us with Stockfish 19, depth 22, on 14/09/2026.
Frequently asked questions
Does the King's Indian Attack give an edge for being a King's Indian with an extra tempo?
It does not. The position after 5.d3 measures +0.02, and the main line with the locked centre measures exactly 0.00. The extra tempo does not convert because the setup presses on nothing while it is being built. What it delivers is something else: an identical plan against several defences, which is what Fischer was after when he used it against the Sicilian and the French.
Which defences does the setup work best against?
Against the ones that spend time on moves serving no plan. The line against the Caro-Kann with ...g6 measures +0.86 because ...c6 helps neither the queenside attack nor the king's defence. Against the French, where Black plays ...c5 and ...Nc6 straight away, the same setup measures −0.18.
When should White play e4 in the King's Indian Attack?
After Nbd2 and castling, never before. Without the knight on d2, the sequence e4 dxe4 dxe4 leads to a queen trade on the d-file and the position measures −0.57 — Black gets the better endgame and the g2 bishop has no diagonal. The setup forgives slowness; it does not forgive haste.
Guides on this opening
Common Mistakes & Where Most Amateurs Go Wrong
- 01 Locking the centre with ...d4 without counterplay ready. White pushes e5, wins the kingside for free and Black is left with no break at all: the position rises to +0.70. The line:
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.O-O Be7 5.d3 O-O 6.Nbd2 c5 7.e4 d4 8.e5 Nfd7 9.Ne4 b6 10.h4+0.70 - 02 Breaking with e4 before developing the knight to d2. The central exchanges open the d-file with White's queen still on d1, and after 8...Nxe4 it is Black who comes out better: −0.57. The line:
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.O-O Be7 5.d3 O-O 6.e4 dxe4 7.dxe4 Qxd1 8.Rxd1 Nxe4−0.57
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