King's Indian Defense
Initial Moves: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6
Strategic Summary & Main Idea
The King's Indian Defense (KID) is the favourite weapon of hypermodern, aggressive players such as Garry Kasparov and Bobby Fischer. Black hands White the early centre and then attacks it with ...e5 and an avalanche of kingside pawns.
Typical Plans for White
- Dominating the centre and expanding aggressively on the queenside with c4-c5
- The Classical (Mar del Plata) Variation, with a closed centre and a race of opposite attacks
- The Four Pawns Attack, crushing Black with central space
Typical Plans for Black
- Closing the centre with ...e5 and launching the deadly f7-f5-f4 and g5/h5 pawn storm
- The thematic knight route from f6 to f4 via d7-c5 or e8-g7-h5
- Going straight for mate against White's short-castled king
Main Variations of the King's Indian Defense
| Variation | Move Sequence | Style / Characteristic |
|---|---|---|
| Mar del Plata Variation | 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 |
The epic classic of mutual attacking races |
| Sämisch Variation | 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 e5 7.d5 c6 |
Solid and aggressive for White, with queenside castling |
| Fianchetto Variation | 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0 5.Nf3 d6 |
More positional, taking the sting out of Black's attack |
Common Mistakes & Where Most Amateurs Go Wrong
- 01 Black hesitating with the kingside attack and being overrun on the queenside
- 02 White opening the kingside prematurely and easing Black's invasion
- 03 Forgetting prophylaxis against White's b4-b5/c4-c5 break
Practice the King's Indian Defense on the Interactive Board
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