King's Indian Defence
Encyclopedia
The King's Indian Defence is a common chess opening
. It arises after the moves:
Black intends to follow up with 3...Bg7 and 4...d6.
The Grünfeld Defence
arises when Black plays 3...d5 instead, and is considered a separate opening. White's major third move options are 3.Nc3, 3.Nf3 or 3.g3, with both the King's Indian and Grünfeld playable against these moves.
opening, where Black deliberately allows White control of the centre with his pawns, with the view to subsequently challenging it with the moves ...e5 or ...c5. Until the mid-1930s, it was generally regarded as highly suspect, but the analysis and play of three strong Ukrainian players in particular—Alexander Konstantinopolsky
, Isaac Boleslavsky
, and David Bronstein
—helped to make the defence much more respected and popular. It is a dynamic opening, exceptionally complex, and a favourite of former world champions
Garry Kasparov
, Bobby Fischer
, and Mikhail Tal
, with prominent grandmasters
Viktor Korchnoi
, Miguel Najdorf
, Efim Geller
, John Nunn
, Svetozar Gligorić
, Wolfgang Uhlmann
, Ilya Smirin
, and Teimour Radjabov
having also contributed much to the theory and practice of this opening.
(ECO) classification of variations of the King's Indian are:
The main variations of the King's Indian are:
, who developed the system in the 1920s. This often leads to very sharp play with the players castling on opposite wings and attacking each other's kings, as in the Bagirov-Gufeld game given below, though it may also give rise to heavyweight positional struggles. Black has a variety of pawn breaks, such as ...e5, ...c5 and ...b5 (prepared by ...c6 and/or ...a6). This can transpose to the Modern Benoni after 5....0-0 6.Bg5 c5 7.d5 e6. World champions Mikhail Botvinnik
, Mikhail Tal
, Tigran Petrosian
, Boris Spassky
, Anatoly Karpov
and Garry Kasparov
have all played this variation. This line defends the e4 pawn to create a secure centre and enables White to begin an attack kingside with Be3, Qd2, Bh6, g2-g4 and h2-h4. It allows placement of a bishop on e3 without allowing ....Ng4; however, its drawback is that it deprives the knight on g1 of its most natural square, thus impeding development of the kingside. Black can strike for the centre as previously mentioned or delay with 6...Nc6, 7...a6 and 8...Rb8 so that Black can play ....b7-b5 to open lines on the queenside.
The classical defense to the Sämisch is 5...0-0 6.Be3 e5, when White has a choice between closing the center with 7.d5, or maintaining the tension with 7.Nge2. Kasparov was a major proponent of this defense.
The Sämisch Gambit arises after 5...0-0 6.Be3 c5. This is a pawn sacrifice, and was once considered dubious. As Black's play has been worked out, this evaluation has changed, and the gambit now enjoys a good reputation. However, a practical drawback is that a well-prepared but unambitious White player can often enter lines leading to a forced draw
. The line where White accepts the gambit runs 5...0-0 6.Be3 c5 7.dxc5 dxc5 8.Qxd8 (8.e5 Nfd7 9.f4 f6 10.exf6 is also possible here, though less often seen) Rxd8 9.Bxc5 Nc6. Black's activity is believed to give sufficient compensation. White's most frequent play is to decline the gambit, and instead play 7.Nge2, and head for Benoni type positions after a d4-d5 advance.
5...0-0 6.Be3 Nc6 7.Nge2 a6 8.Qd2 Rb8 leads to the Panno Variation of the Sämisch. Black prepares to respond appropriately depending on White's choice of plan. If White plays 0-0-0 and goes for a kingside attack, then 7...a6 prepares ....b7-b5 with a counterattack against White's castled position. If instead White plays more cautiously, then Black challenges White's centre with ....e5.
), which prevents the immediate 6...e5. Black usually repels the bishop with ...h6 giving him the option of a later g5, though in practice this is a weakening move. White has various ways to develop, such as Qd2, Nf3, f4 or even h4. However, Black obtains good play against all of these development schemes. The old main line in this begins with 6....c5, though 6....Nbd7 and 6....Na6 (Judit Polgár
's move) are also seen.
Variation 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 0-0 5.Bg2 d6 6.0-0, is named for White's development of his light squared bishop to g2, and is one of the most popular lines at the grandmaster level, with Korchnoi once its most notable practitioner. This method of development is on completely different lines than other King's Indian variations. Here, Black's normal plan of attack can hardly succeed, as White's kingside is more solidly defended than in most KID variations. The most common variations are:
–American grandmaster Eduard Gufeld
, who called it his "Mona Lisa
."
Vladimir Bagirov
-Eduard Gufeld, USSR championship
1973 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4 Nf6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 Nc6 7.Nge2 Rb8 8.Qd2 a6 9.Bh6 b5 10.h4 e5 11.Bxg7 Kxg7 12.h5 Kh8 13.Nd5 bxc4 14.hxg6 fxg6 15.Qh6 Nh5 16.g4 Rxb2 17.gxh5 g5 18.Rg1 g4 19.0-0-0 Rxa2 20.Nef4 exf4 21.Nxf4 Rxf4 22.Qxf4 c3 23.Bc4 Ra3 24.fxg4 Nb4 25.Kb1 Be6 26.Bxe6 Nd3 27.Qf7 Qb8+ 28.Bb3 Rxb3+ 29.Kc2 Nb4+ 30.Kxb3 Nd5+ 31.Kc2 Qb2+ 32.Kd3 Qb5+ 0-1
(ECO) classifies the King's Indian Defence under the codes E60 through E99.
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...
. It arises after the moves:
- 1. d4 Nf6
- 2. c4 g6
Black intends to follow up with 3...Bg7 and 4...d6.
The Grünfeld Defence
Grünfeld Defence
The Grünfeld Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-History:The first instance of this opening is in an 1855 game by Moheschunder Bannerjee, an Indian player who had transitioned from Indian chess rules, playing black against John Cochrane in Calcutta, in May 1855: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4...
arises when Black plays 3...d5 instead, and is considered a separate opening. White's major third move options are 3.Nc3, 3.Nf3 or 3.g3, with both the King's Indian and Grünfeld playable against these moves.
Overview
The King's Indian is a hypermodernHypermodernism (chess)
Hypermodernism is a school of chess that emerged after World War I. It featured challenges on the chess ideologies presented by central European masters, such as on Wilhelm Steinitz’ approach to the centre. It also challenged in particular the dogmatic rules set down by Siegbert Tarrasch...
opening, where Black deliberately allows White control of the centre with his pawns, with the view to subsequently challenging it with the moves ...e5 or ...c5. Until the mid-1930s, it was generally regarded as highly suspect, but the analysis and play of three strong Ukrainian players in particular—Alexander Konstantinopolsky
Alexander Konstantinopolsky
Alexander Markovich Konstantinopolsky was a Soviet International Master of chess, chess coach and trainer, and a chess author. He was a five-time Kiev champion, and trained the world title challenger David Bronstein from a young age...
, Isaac Boleslavsky
Isaac Boleslavsky
Isaac Yefremovich Boleslavsky was a Soviet–Jewish chess Grandmaster.-Early career:Boleslavsky taught himself chess at age 9...
, and David Bronstein
David Bronstein
David Ionovich Bronstein was a Soviet chess grandmaster, who narrowly missed becoming World Chess Champion in 1951. Bronstein was described by his peers as a creative genius and master of tactics...
—helped to make the defence much more respected and popular. It is a dynamic opening, exceptionally complex, and a favourite of former world champions
World Chess Championship
The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
, 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...
, and Mikhail Tal
Mikhail Tal
Mikhail Tal was a Soviet–Latvian chess player, a Grandmaster, and the eighth World Chess Champion.Widely regarded as a creative genius, and the best attacking player of all time, he played a daring, combinatorial style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability....
, with prominent grandmasters
International Grandmaster
The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....
Viktor Korchnoi
Viktor Korchnoi
Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi ; pronounced in the original Russian as "karch NOY"; Ви́ктор Льво́вич Корчно́й, born March 23, 1931 is a professional chess player, author and currently the oldest active grandmaster on the tournament circuit...
, Miguel Najdorf
Miguel Najdorf
Miguel Najdorf was a Polish-born Argentine chess grandmaster of Jewish origin, famous for his Najdorf Variation....
, Efim Geller
Efim Geller
Efim Petrovich Geller was a Soviet chess player and world-class grandmaster at his peak. He won the Soviet Championship twice and was a Candidate for the World Championship on six occasions...
, John Nunn
John Nunn
John Denis Martin Nunn is one of England's strongest chess players and once belonged to the world's top ten. He is also a three times world champion in chess problem solving, a chess writer and publisher, and a mathematician....
, Svetozar Gligorić
Svetozar Gligoric
Svetozar Gligorić is a Serbian chess grandmaster. He won the championship of Yugoslavia a record twelve times, and is considered the best player ever from Serbia...
, Wolfgang Uhlmann
Wolfgang Uhlmann
Wolfgang Uhlmann is a prominent German International Grandmaster of chess. Despite being a dedicated professional chess player, and undoubtedly the GDR's most successful ever, he has also had a career in accountancy.-Chess career:...
, Ilya Smirin
Ilya Smirin
Ilya Yulievich Smirin is a Soviet-Israeli chess Grandmaster., his Elo rating was 2650, making him the 59th-highest rated player in the world...
, and Teimour Radjabov
Teimour Radjabov
Radjabov's knight sacrifice, 21. ... Ngxe5, was praised by several strong players for its bravery, including English grandmaster Nigel Short. Said Short of the move, "Radjabov plays very imaginatively... he just won't give up, he is extremely tenacious and will always find a way to muddy the...
having also contributed much to the theory and practice of this opening.
Variations
The Encyclopaedia of Chess OpeningsEncyclopaedia of Chess Openings
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings is a classification system for the opening moves in a game of chess. It is presented as a five volume book collection describing chess openings...
(ECO) classification of variations of the King's Indian are:
- E60 King's Indian Defence
- E61 King's Indian Defence, 3.Nc3
- E62 King's Indian, Fianchetto Variation
- E63 King's Indian, Fianchetto, PannoOscar PannoOscar R. Panno is an Argentine chess Grandmaster.Panno won the World Junior Chess Championship in 1953, and also won the championship of Argentina the same year....
Variation - E64 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Yugoslav system
- E65 King's Indian, Yugoslav, 7.O-O
- E66 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Yugoslav Panno
- E67 King's Indian, Fianchetto with ...Nbd7
- E68 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Classical Variation, 8.e4
- E69 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Classical Main line
- E70 King's Indian, 4.e4
- E71 King's Indian, Makogonov system (5.h3)
- E72 King's Indian with e4 & g3
- E73 King's Indian, 5.Be2
- E74 King's Indian, Averbakh, 6...c5
- E75 King's Indian, Averbakh, Main line
- E76 King's Indian Defence, Four Pawns Attack
- E77 King's Indian, Four Pawns Attack, 6.Be2
- E78 King's Indian, Four Pawns Attack, with Be2 and Nf3
- E79 King's Indian, Four Pawns Attack, Main line
- E80 King's Indian, Sämisch Variation
- E81 King's Indian, Sämisch, 5...O-O
- E82 King's Indian, Sämisch, 6....b6
- E83 King's Indian, Sämisch, 6...Nc6
- E84 King's Indian, Sämisch, Panno Main line
- E85 King's Indian, Sämisch, Orthodox Variation
- E86 King's Indian, Sämisch, Orthodox, 7.Nge2 c6
- E87 King's Indian, Sämisch, Orthodox, 7.d5
- E88 King's Indian, Sämisch, Orthodox, 7.d5 c6
- E89 King's Indian, Sämisch, Orthodox Main line
- E90 King's Indian, 5.Nf3
- E91 King's Indian, 6.Be2
- E92 King's Indian, Classical Variation
- E93 King's Indian, Petrosian system, Main line
- E94 King's Indian, Orthodox Variation
- E95 King's Indian, Orthodox, 7...Nbd7, 8.Re1
- E96 King's Indian, Orthodox, 7...Nbd7, Main line
- E97 King's Indian, Orthodox, Aronin-Taimanov Variation (Yugoslav Attack / Mar del Plata Variation)
- E98 King's Indian, Orthodox, Aronin-Taimanov, 9.Ne1
- E99 King's Indian, Orthodox, Aronin-Taimanov, Main
The main variations of the King's Indian are:
Classical Variation
The Classical Variation is 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5- The Main Line or Mar del Plata Variation continues 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7. Now White has a wide variety of moves, including 9.b4, 9.Ne1, and 9.Nd2, among others. Typically, White will try to attack on the queenside by preparing the pawn break c4-c5, while Black will attack on the kingside by transferring his knight from f6 to d7 (usually better placed than at e8, as it helps slow White's queenside play with c4-c5), and starting a kingside pawn storm with ...f7-f5-f4 and ...g6-g5. 9.b4, introduced by Korchnoi in the 1970s, used to put top players off playing this line, but it has recently been revived by Radjabov.
- 7....Nbd7 is the Old Main Line, and is playable, though less common nowadays than 7....Nc6.
- 7....exd4 8.Nxd4 is also possible, although White's extra space usually is of greater value than Black's counterplay against White's centre. Made popular in the mid-1990s by the Russian Grandmaster Igor GlekIgor GlekIgor Vladimirovich Glek , is a Russian chess master, coach, theorist, writer and organiser. He now lives in Essen, Germany and has mainly resided there since 1994....
, new ideas were found for White yet some of the best lines for White were later refuted. White still has an advantage in most lines. - 7....Na6 has seen some popularity recently. The purpose of this awkward-looking move is to move the knight to c5 after an eventual d5, while guarding c7 if Black should play ....Qe8. Play commonly continues 8.Be3 Ng4 9.Bg5 Qe8! but White has also tried:
- 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.Qxd8 Rxd8 with even chances;
- 8.d5 Nc5 9.Qc2 a5 may transpose into the Petrosian System (see below);
- 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bh4 Qe8 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c5! yet is not totally reliable for Black.
- 7.d5 is the Petrosian System, so named for the 1963-69 world champion, who often essayed the line in the 1960s, with Vladimir KramnikVladimir KramnikVladimir Borisovich Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007...
playing this variation extensively in the 1990s. The plans for both sides are roughly the same as in the main variation. After 7...a5 White plays 8.Bg5 to pin the knight, making it harder for Black to achieve the f7-f5 break. In the early days of the system, Black would drive the bishop back with ....h6 and ....g5, though players subsequently switched to ideas involving ....Na6, ....Qe8 and ....Bd7, making White's c4-c5 break more difficult, only then playing for kingside activity. Joe Gallagher has recommended the flexible 7...Na6 which has similar ideas to 7...a5. - 7.Be3 This line is often known as the Gligoric System, after the world championship candidate who has contributed much to King's Indian theory and practice with both colours. Recently, other strong players such as Korchnoi, Karpov, and Kasparov have played this line. The main idea behind this move is to avoid the theoretical lines that arise after 7.0-0 Nc6. This move allows White to maintain, for the moment, the tension in the centre. If Black plays mechanically with 7....Nc6, 8.d5 Ne7 9.Nd2! is a favourable set-up, so Black most often responds by crossing his opponent's plans with 7...Ng4 8.Bg5 f6 9.Bh4 Nc6, but other moves are also seen, such as:
- 7...Na6 8.0-0 transposing into the modern.
- 7...h6!? is a favourite of John NunnJohn NunnJohn Denis Martin Nunn is one of England's strongest chess players and once belonged to the world's top ten. He is also a three times world champion in chess problem solving, a chess writer and publisher, and a mathematician....
. The main line runs 8.0-0 Ng4 9.Bc1 Nc6 10.d5 Ne7 11.Ne1 f5 12.Bxg4 fxg4. In this subvariation, Black's kingside play is of a different type than normal KID lines, as it lacks the standard pawn breaks, so he will now play ...g6-g5 and ....Ng6-f4, often investing material in a piece attack in the f-file against the white king, while White plays for the usual queenside breakthrough with c4-c5. - 7...exd4 immediately surrenders the centre, with a view to playing a quick ...c7-c6 and ...d6-d5. For example, 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.f3 c6 10.Qd2 (10.Bf2!?) 10...d5 11.exd5 cxd5 12.0-0 Nc6 13.c5 and 13...Rxe3!?
- In the Exchange Variation (7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Qxd8 Rxd8), White exchanges queens and is content to play for a small, safe advantage in the relatively quiet positions which will ensue in this queenless middlegame. The line is often played by White players hoping for an early draw, but there is still a lot of play left in the position. White tries to exploit d6 with moves such as b4, c5, Nf3-d2-c4-d6, etc., while Black will play to control the hole on d4. In practice, it is easier to exploit d4, and chances are balanced. The central pawn structure is identical to lines of the Ruy Lopez, Chigorin variation, when White also carries out the exchange with dxc5 or dxe5, with reversed colours; in similar fashion, if Black is able to play ....Nd4, he will often have at least an equal position, even when this involves the sacrifice of a pawn to eliminate White's dark-squared bishop.
Sämisch Variation
The Sämisch Variation is 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3. It is named after Friedrich SämischFriedrich Sämisch
Friedrich Sämisch was a German chess grandmaster .-Main results:* 2nd at Berlin 1920...
, who developed the system in the 1920s. This often leads to very sharp play with the players castling on opposite wings and attacking each other's kings, as in the Bagirov-Gufeld game given below, though it may also give rise to heavyweight positional struggles. Black has a variety of pawn breaks, such as ...e5, ...c5 and ...b5 (prepared by ...c6 and/or ...a6). This can transpose to the Modern Benoni after 5....0-0 6.Bg5 c5 7.d5 e6. World champions Mikhail Botvinnik
Mikhail Botvinnik
Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, Ph.D. was a Soviet and Russian International Grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion. Working as an electrical engineer and computer scientist at the same time, he was one of the very few famous chess players who achieved distinction in another career while...
, Mikhail Tal
Mikhail Tal
Mikhail Tal was a Soviet–Latvian chess player, a Grandmaster, and the eighth World Chess Champion.Widely regarded as a creative genius, and the best attacking player of all time, he played a daring, combinatorial style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability....
, Tigran Petrosian
Tigran Petrosian
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian was a Soviet-Armenian grandmaster, and World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his playing style because of his almost impenetrable defence, which emphasised safety above all else...
, Boris Spassky
Boris Spassky
Boris Vasilievich Spassky is a Soviet-French chess grandmaster. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from late 1969 to 1972...
, Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
and Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
have all played this variation. This line defends the e4 pawn to create a secure centre and enables White to begin an attack kingside with Be3, Qd2, Bh6, g2-g4 and h2-h4. It allows placement of a bishop on e3 without allowing ....Ng4; however, its drawback is that it deprives the knight on g1 of its most natural square, thus impeding development of the kingside. Black can strike for the centre as previously mentioned or delay with 6...Nc6, 7...a6 and 8...Rb8 so that Black can play ....b7-b5 to open lines on the queenside.
The classical defense to the Sämisch is 5...0-0 6.Be3 e5, when White has a choice between closing the center with 7.d5, or maintaining the tension with 7.Nge2. Kasparov was a major proponent of this defense.
The Sämisch Gambit arises after 5...0-0 6.Be3 c5. This is a pawn sacrifice, and was once considered dubious. As Black's play has been worked out, this evaluation has changed, and the gambit now enjoys a good reputation. However, a practical drawback is that a well-prepared but unambitious White player can often enter lines leading to a forced draw
Draw (chess)
In chess, a draw is when a game ends in a tie. It is one of the possible outcomes of a game, along with a win for White and a win for Black . Usually, in tournaments a draw is worth a half point to each player, while a win is worth one point to the victor and none to the loser.For the most part,...
. The line where White accepts the gambit runs 5...0-0 6.Be3 c5 7.dxc5 dxc5 8.Qxd8 (8.e5 Nfd7 9.f4 f6 10.exf6 is also possible here, though less often seen) Rxd8 9.Bxc5 Nc6. Black's activity is believed to give sufficient compensation. White's most frequent play is to decline the gambit, and instead play 7.Nge2, and head for Benoni type positions after a d4-d5 advance.
5...0-0 6.Be3 Nc6 7.Nge2 a6 8.Qd2 Rb8 leads to the Panno Variation of the Sämisch. Black prepares to respond appropriately depending on White's choice of plan. If White plays 0-0-0 and goes for a kingside attack, then 7...a6 prepares ....b7-b5 with a counterattack against White's castled position. If instead White plays more cautiously, then Black challenges White's centre with ....e5.
Averbakh Variation
The Averbakh Variation is 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Bg5 (named for Yuri AverbakhYuri Averbakh
Yuri Lvovich Averbakh is a Soviet and Russian chess player and author. He is currently the oldest living chess grandmaster.-Life and career:...
), which prevents the immediate 6...e5. Black usually repels the bishop with ...h6 giving him the option of a later g5, though in practice this is a weakening move. White has various ways to develop, such as Qd2, Nf3, f4 or even h4. However, Black obtains good play against all of these development schemes. The old main line in this begins with 6....c5, though 6....Nbd7 and 6....Na6 (Judit Polgár
Judit Polgár
Judit Polgár is a Hungarian chess grandmaster. She is by far the strongest female chess player in history. In 1991, Polgár achieved the title of Grandmaster at the age of 15 years and 4 months, the youngest person ever to do so at that time.Polgár was ranked No...
's move) are also seen.
Four Pawns Attack
The Four Pawns Attack continues with 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f4 0-0 6.Nf3. This is the most aggressive method for White, and was often seen in the 1920s. With his fifth move, White erects a massive centre at the price of falling behind in development. If Black can open the position, White may well find himself overextended. From this 6...c5 is the main line.- 6...c5 7.d5 e6 8.Be2 exd5 9.cxd5
- 9...Bg4 has been a solid line for Black.
- 9...Re8 can be justified with solid play.
- 9...b5 is known to lead to sharp, dangerous play.
- 6...Na6 is known as the Modern Variation. This is a move anticipating playing ...Nc5 with counterplay. Has worked with success of neutral moves made from White, such as 7.Bd3. On the other hand, 7.e5 is the most aggressive plan.
Fianchetto Variation
The FianchettoFianchetto
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....
Variation 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 0-0 5.Bg2 d6 6.0-0, is named for White's development of his light squared bishop to g2, and is one of the most popular lines at the grandmaster level, with Korchnoi once its most notable practitioner. This method of development is on completely different lines than other King's Indian variations. Here, Black's normal plan of attack can hardly succeed, as White's kingside is more solidly defended than in most KID variations. The most common variations are:
- 6...Nbd7 with 8...exd4. Black intends to claim the centre with ...e7-e5. 7.Nc3 e5 8.e4 exd4 9.Nxd4 Re8 10.h3 a6! With this move we now can see Black's plans. Preparation has been made for 11...Rb8, with ...c7-c5 and ...b7-b5, and sometimes with ...Ne4 first. This has been known as the Gallagher Variation of the Fianchetto Variation.
- 8...c6 and 8...a6 are alternatives.
- 6...Nc6 7.Nc3 a6 8.d5 Na5. Although players are taught that knights are not well placed on the rim, here extra pressure is brought to bear against the Achilles Heel of the fianchetto lines-the weakness at c4. Hundreds of master games have continued with 9.Nd2 c5 10.Qc2 Rb8 11.b3 b5 12.Bb2 bxc4 13.bxc4 Bh6 14.f4 (14.e3 Bf5 is a trap which has numbered Mark TaimanovMark TaimanovMark Evgenievich Taimanov is a leading Soviet and Russian chess player and concert pianist.-Chess:He was awarded the International Grandmaster title in 1952 and played in the Candidates Tournament in Zurich in 1953, where he tied for eighth place. From 1946 to 1956, he was among the world's top...
among its victims- White must now lose material, as he has no good interposition) e5!
Sidelines
Finally, White has other setups, such as Nf3 and h3 and Nge2 (with or without Bd3), but these are currently not as popular at the grandmaster level. 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nge2 followed by 6.Ng3 is called the Hungarian Attack.Famous Games
The moves are shown for one of the most famous King's Indian games, a brilliancy by the late UkrainianUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
–American grandmaster Eduard Gufeld
Eduard Gufeld
Eduard Yefimovich Gufeld was a Soviet International Grandmaster of chess, and a chess author.By the late 1950s he established himself as one of the strongest players in the world...
, who called it his "Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa is a portrait by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is a painting in oil on a poplar panel, completed circa 1503–1519...
."
Vladimir Bagirov
Vladimir Bagirov
Vladimir Bagirov was a Soviet-Latvian grandmaster of chess, chess author, and trainer. He played in ten USSR Championships, with his best result being fourth place in his debut in 1960. Bagirov was World Senior Champion in 1998...
-Eduard Gufeld, USSR championship
USSR Chess Championship
This is a list of all the winners of the USSR Chess Championship. It was the strongest national chess championship ever held, with eight world chess champions and four world championship finalists among its winners...
1973 1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4 Nf6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 Nc6 7.Nge2 Rb8 8.Qd2 a6 9.Bh6 b5 10.h4 e5 11.Bxg7 Kxg7 12.h5 Kh8 13.Nd5 bxc4 14.hxg6 fxg6 15.Qh6 Nh5 16.g4 Rxb2 17.gxh5 g5 18.Rg1 g4 19.0-0-0 Rxa2 20.Nef4 exf4 21.Nxf4 Rxf4 22.Qxf4 c3 23.Bc4 Ra3 24.fxg4 Nb4 25.Kb1 Be6 26.Bxe6 Nd3 27.Qf7 Qb8+ 28.Bb3 Rxb3+ 29.Kc2 Nb4+ 30.Kxb3 Nd5+ 31.Kc2 Qb2+ 32.Kd3 Qb5+ 0-1
ECO code
The Encyclopaedia of Chess OpeningsEncyclopaedia of Chess Openings
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings is a classification system for the opening moves in a game of chess. It is presented as a five volume book collection describing chess openings...
(ECO) classifies the King's Indian Defence under the codes E60 through E99.