King's Indian Attack
Encyclopedia
The King's Indian Attack (KIA), also known as the Barcza System (after Gedeon Barcza
), is a chess opening
system for White, most notably used by Bobby Fischer
. Its typical formation is shown in the diagram to the right.
The opening is not a series of specific moves, but rather a system that can be played from many different move orders
. Though the KIA is often reached via 1.e4 followed by d3, Nd2, Ngf3, g3, Bg2, and 0-0, it can also arise from 1. g3, 1. Nf3, or even 1. d3.
By its nature, the KIA is a closed, strategic opening that presents its practitioner with common themes and tactics and a comfortable middlegame against various defences.
The KIA is often used against the semi-open
defences where Black responds asymmetrically to e4, such as in the French Defence
, Sicilian Defence
, or Caro-Kann Defence
. Yet it can also be played against Black's more common closed defenses, usually through a move order that begins with 1. Nf3 and a later fianchetto
of the white-square bishop. For this reason, transpositions to the Réti Opening
, Catalan Opening
, English opening
or even the Nimzo-Larsen Attack
(after b3 and Bb2) are not uncommon.
The KIA is a mirror image of the setup adopted by Black in the King's Indian Defense. Yet, because of White's extra tempo
, the nature of the subsequent play is often different from that of a typical King's Indian Defence.
The KIA is considered a solid opening choice for White, although less ambitious than many more popular openings. Though rarely used at the highest levels except to avoid certain pet lines, it is extremely popular at the club level, because it is easier to learn than other openings that require memorising specific move orders to avoid outright losing positions.
White's most common plan involves a central pawn push, e4–e5, leading to a central bind, kingside space, and concrete attacking chances on a kingside-castled
black king. Black's resources—more queenside space for example—are not to be underestimated. In fact, this asymmetry often leads to violent middlegames and neatly constructed mating
nets involving sacrifices
.
Fischer
–Myagmarsüren
, Sousse Interzonal
1967
1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.g3 c5 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.Ngf3 Be7 7.O-O O-O 8.e5 Nd7 9.Re1 b5 10.Nf1 b4 11.h4 a5 12.Bf4 a4 13.a3 bxa3 14.bxa3 Na5 15.Ne3 Ba6 16.Bh3 d4 17.Nf1 Nb6 18.Ng5 Nd5 19.Bd2 Bxg5 20.Bxg5 Qd7 21.Qh5 Rfc8 22.Nd2 Nc3 23.Bf6 Qe8 24.Ne4 g6 25.Qg5 Nxe4 26.Rxe4 c4 27.h5 cxd3 28.Rh4 Ra7 29.Bg2 dxc2 30.Qh6 Qf8 31.Qxh7+ 1–0
Another example is the fifth game of the 1997 match Deep Blue versus Garry Kasparov.
Gedeon Barcza
Gedeon Barcza was a Hungarian chess master.In 1940, Barcza took third place, behind Max Euwe and Milan Vidmar, at Maróczy Jubiläum in Budapest. In September 1942, he took sixth place at the first European Championship in Munich; the event was won by Alexander Alekhine...
), is a chess opening
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
system for White, most notably used by Bobby Fischer
Bobby Fischer
Robert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author...
. Its typical formation is shown in the diagram to the right.
The opening is not a series of specific moves, but rather a system that can be played from many different move orders
Transposition (chess)
A transposition in chess is a sequence of moves that results in a position which may also be reached by another, more common sequence of moves. Transpositions are particularly common in opening, where a given position may be reached by different sequences of moves...
. Though the KIA is often reached via 1.e4 followed by d3, Nd2, Ngf3, g3, Bg2, and 0-0, it can also arise from 1. g3, 1. Nf3, or even 1. d3.
By its nature, the KIA is a closed, strategic opening that presents its practitioner with common themes and tactics and a comfortable middlegame against various defences.
The KIA is often used against the semi-open
Semi-Open Game
A Semi-Open Game is a chess opening in which White plays 1.e4 and Black breaks symmetry immediately by replying with a move other than 1...e5.The Semi-Open Games are also called Single King Pawn Games, and are the complement of the Open Games or Double King Pawn Games which begin 1.e4 e5.-Popular...
defences where Black responds asymmetrically to e4, such as in the French Defence
French Defence
The French Defence is a chess opening. It is characterised by the moves:The French has a reputation for solidity and resilience, though it can result in a somewhat cramped game for Black in the early stages...
, Sicilian Defence
Sicilian Defence
The Sicilian Defence is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4...
, or Caro-Kann Defence
Caro-Kann Defence
The Caro-Kann Defence is a chess opening —a common defense against the King's Pawn Opening characterised by the moves:The usual continuation isfollowed by 3.Nc3 , 3.Nd2 , 3.exd5 , or 3.e5 . The classical variation has gained much popularity...
. Yet it can also be played against Black's more common closed defenses, usually through a move order that begins with 1. Nf3 and a later fianchetto
Fianchetto
In chess the fianchetto is a pattern of development wherein a bishop is developed to the second rank of the adjacent knight file, the knight pawn having been moved one or two squares forward....
of the white-square bishop. For this reason, transpositions to the Réti Opening
Réti Opening
The Réti Opening is a hypermodern chess opening whose traditional or classic method begins with the moves:White plans to bring the d5-pawn under attack from the flank, or entice it to advance to d4 and undermine it later...
, Catalan Opening
Catalan Opening
The Catalan is a chess opening which can be considered to be White adopting a mixture of the Queen's Gambit and Réti Opening: White plays d4 and c4 and fianchettoes the white bishop on g2. A common opening sequence is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2, though the opening can arise from a large number...
, English opening
English Opening
In chess, the English Opening is the opening where White begins:A flank opening, it is the fourth most popular and, according to various databases, anywhere from one of the two most successful to the fourth most successful of White's twenty possible first moves. White begins the fight for the...
or even the Nimzo-Larsen Attack
Larsen's Opening
Larsen's Opening is a chess opening starting with the move:It is named after the Danish Grandmaster Bent Larsen...
(after b3 and Bb2) are not uncommon.
The KIA is a mirror image of the setup adopted by Black in the King's Indian Defense. Yet, because of White's extra tempo
Tempo (chess)
In chess, tempo refers to a "turn" or single move. When a player achieves a desired result in one fewer move, he "gains a tempo" and conversely when he takes one more move than necessary he "loses a tempo"...
, the nature of the subsequent play is often different from that of a typical King's Indian Defence.
The KIA is considered a solid opening choice for White, although less ambitious than many more popular openings. Though rarely used at the highest levels except to avoid certain pet lines, it is extremely popular at the club level, because it is easier to learn than other openings that require memorising specific move orders to avoid outright losing positions.
White's most common plan involves a central pawn push, e4–e5, leading to a central bind, kingside space, and concrete attacking chances on a kingside-castled
Castling
Castling is a special move in the game of chess involving the king and either of the original rooks of the same color. It is the only move in chess in which a player moves two pieces at the same time. Castling consists of moving the king two squares towards a rook on the player's first rank, then...
black king. Black's resources—more queenside space for example—are not to be underestimated. In fact, this asymmetry often leads to violent middlegames and neatly constructed mating
Checkmate
Checkmate is a situation in chess in which one player's king is threatened with capture and there is no way to meet that threat. Or, simply put, the king is under direct attack and cannot avoid being captured...
nets involving sacrifices
Sacrifice (chess)
In chess, a sacrifice is a move giving up a piece in the hopes of gaining tactical or positional compensation in other forms. A sacrifice could also be a deliberate exchange of a chess piece of higher value for an opponent's piece of lower value....
.
Famous games
The following game is perhaps the most famous example of the King's Indian Attack:Fischer
Bobby Fischer
Robert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author...
–Myagmarsüren
Lkhamsürengiin Myagmarsüren
Lkhamsürengiin Myagmarsüren is a Mongolian chess master. He is more commonly known in English as Lhamsuren Myagmarsuren.He won West Asian zonal tournament in 1966...
, Sousse Interzonal
Interzonal
Interzonal chess tournaments were tournaments organized by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, and were a stage in the triennial World Chess Championship cycle.- Zonal tournaments :...
1967
1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.g3 c5 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.Ngf3 Be7 7.O-O O-O 8.e5 Nd7 9.Re1 b5 10.Nf1 b4 11.h4 a5 12.Bf4 a4 13.a3 bxa3 14.bxa3 Na5 15.Ne3 Ba6 16.Bh3 d4 17.Nf1 Nb6 18.Ng5 Nd5 19.Bd2 Bxg5 20.Bxg5 Qd7 21.Qh5 Rfc8 22.Nd2 Nc3 23.Bf6 Qe8 24.Ne4 g6 25.Qg5 Nxe4 26.Rxe4 c4 27.h5 cxd3 28.Rh4 Ra7 29.Bg2 dxc2 30.Qh6 Qf8 31.Qxh7+ 1–0
Another example is the fifth game of the 1997 match Deep Blue versus Garry Kasparov.
Further reading
- Hall, John (1972): A Complete Opening System for White: King’s Indian Attack, Dallas: Chess Digest Magazine, no ISBN
- Weinstein, Norman (1976): The King’s Indian Attack, Dallas: Chess Digest Magazine, no ISBN
- Schiller, EricEric SchillerEric Schiller is an American chess player, trainer, arbiter and one of the most prolific authors of books on chess in the 20th century.-Early life and education:...
(1989): How To Play The Kings Indian Attack, Moon Township: Chess Enterprises, ISBN 0931462959 - Norwood, David (1991): King’s Indian Attack, London: Trends Publications, without ISBN
- Tangborn, Eric (1992): A Fischer Favorite: The King’s Indian Attack – with 46 fully annotated Games, o.O.: International Chess Enterprises, ISBN 1-879479-07-9
- Dunnington, Angus (1993): How to Play - The King’s Indian Attack - Openings, London: B.T. Batsford Ltd, ISBN 0-8050-2933-8
- Henley, Ron and Hodges, Paul (1993): Power Play - The King’s Indian Attack, Hagerstown: R&D Publishing, ISBN 1-883358-02-7
- Henley, Ron and Maddox, Don (1993): The ChessBase University BlueBook Guide To Winning With - The King’s Indian Attack, Hagerstown: R&D Publishing, ISBN 1-883358-00-0
- Hall, John and Cartier, Jan R. (1996): Modern King’s Indian Attack – A Complete System for White, Dallas Texas: Hays Publishing, ISBN 1-880673-11-8
- New In ChessNew In ChessNew In Chess is a chess magazine that appears eight times a year with chief editors International Grandmaster Jan Timman and Dirk Jan Ten Geuzendam. It contains notes by top players and chess prodigies on their own games...
Yearbook (1998): King's Indian Attack: Black castles kingside, Alkmaar: Interchess BV, Vol. 49, ISBN 90-5691-044-2, p. 186-190 - New In Chess Yearbook (1999): King's Indian Attack, Alkmaar: Interchess BV, Vol. 50, ISBN 90-5691-047-7, p.182-186
- Maddox, Don (2002): Königsindischer Angriff - Schach Training, Hamburg: ChessBase GmbH, ISBN 3-935602-51-0
- New In Chess Yearbook (2005): King's Indian Attack, Alkmaar: Interchess BV, Vol. 76, ISBN 90-5691-155-4, p. 228-232
- Dzindzichashvili, RomanRoman DzindzichashviliRoman Yakovlevich Dzindzichashvili is a chess Grandmaster .-Life and career:Born in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR into a family of Georgian Jews, he won the Junior Championship of the Soviet Union in 1962 and the University Championships in 1966 and 1968. In 1970, he earned the title of International...
(2005): Easy Way to Learn The King’s Indian Attack, Internet: ChessDVDs.com, Roman’s Lab, Volume 28, Nr. 7-37885-35839-1 - Davies, NigelNigel Davies (chess player)Nigel Davies is an English chess Grandmaster, chess coach and writer.Davies won the British Boys Championship in 1979 and the British Rapidplay Chess Championhship in 1987.-External links:* Nigel Davies' own website...
(2008): King’s Indian Attack, Hamburg: ChessBase GmbH, fritztrainer opening, ISBN 978-3-86681-071-6