Opening Overview

King's Indian Defense

119 lines
black repertoire

About This Opening

King's Indian Defense is a flexible, hypermodern opening that delays direct central occupation and instead pressures the center from the wings.

The opening usually invites White to occupy space, then challenges that center with piece pressure, pawn breaks, and flexible development.

In practice, the key is to know when to strike at the center and when to keep pieces flexible, because the wrong timing can leave the position passive.

Key ideas
  • Typical theme: pressure on the center rather than immediate occupation.
  • Common plans include fianchetto setups and timely pawn breaks.
  • Best for players who like asymmetry and counterplay.
  • Study the transition from setup to active central challenge.

Choose a variation

King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation
E60 7 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3
King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Immediate Fianchetto
E60 5 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3
King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation
E60 5 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4
King's Indian Defense: Santasiere Variation
E60 7 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. b4
King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation, Benoni Variation
E60 12 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. e3 d6 6. Be2 c6
King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation, Hollywood Variation
E60 12 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 O-O 5. e3 d6 6. Be2 Nc6
King's Indian Defense
E61 5 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3
King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Benjamin Defense
E61 14 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. g3 O-O 6. Bg2 c6 7. O-O Qb6
King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation
E61 11 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. e3 d6 6. Be2
King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation, Exchange Variation
E61 16 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. e3 d6 6. Be2 Nbd7 7. O-O e5 8. dxe5 dxe5
King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation, Queenside Storm Line
E61 15 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. e3 d6 6. Be2 Nbd7 7. O-O e5 8. b4
King's Indian Defense: Smyslov Variation
E61 9 plies
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. Bg5
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