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Openings

King's Indian Defense: Plans, Variations and Famous Games

Following Tigran Gharamyan's methodGrandmaster, French Champion 2018, peak rating 2676Updated September 20267 min read

The King's Indian Defense is a fearsome weapon for players who like activity and dynamism. This guide walks through what the King's Indian actually is, the strategic ideas that make it tick, its main variations, and even the King's Indian Attack, the same setup played by White.

What Is the King's Indian Defense?

The King's Indian chess opening is defined by the following moves.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6

Diagramposition after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6

Black voluntarily lets White build a big pawn center. Meanwhile, Black develops the kingside by fianchettoing the bishop on g7 and gets ready to castle right away. After castling short, Black plans to strike back at the center with the pawn breaks c5 and e5.

This way of playing the opening became fashionable after the Second World War. Bobby Fischer later turned it into one of his favorite weapons, but it was in the hands of World Champion Garry Kasparov that the King's Indian became genuinely difficult for White to meet. These days, grandmaster Teimour Radjabov is the player most associated with the opening.

The King's Indian has a well-known sibling. Starting the same way with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3, Black can play 3...d5 instead of developing with 3...Bg7, reaching the Grünfeld Defense, a different but closely related fight against White's center.

The Strategic Principles of the King's Indian

The strategic principles behind the King's Indian are easier to absorb when you see them explained by a strong player. An English video lesson on them is in the works, join the waitlist to get it first.

Here are two of the King's Indian's biggest recurring themes.

The f5 Pawn Break

After Black pushes ...e5, White can choose to capture on e5, keep the tension between the d4 and e5 pawns, or push forward with d5. Here is the kind of position that comes from pushing d5.

Diagramtype position reached after White pushes d4-d5

Black can use the e5 pawn as a springboard to build a wave of kingside pawns. To do that, the knight on f6 relocates to h5 or e8, and the f-pawn marches to f5. Black can even continue with f4, then throw the g- and h-pawns into the attack. This is the famous kingside pawn storm associated with the King's Indian.

White, meanwhile, enjoys a real edge on the queenside. White can use it by pushing the b- and c-pawns forward, aiming to create a weakness in Black's pawn structure.

The Fianchettoed Bishop

Let's return to the same position.

Diagramsame type position as above, viewed for the g7 bishop

A second element matters a great deal here, the bishop Black has fianchettoed on g7. For now it is blocked. But if Black manages to open its diagonal, it can become extremely powerful.

Black has two main techniques to unleash it, and both work by moving the e5 pawn out of the way. The first is to force White's e4 pawn to advance after playing ...f5. Black can then push the e5 pawn to e4 and open the bishop's diagonal.

The second technique is to bring the knight from f6 to f4. A well-placed knight there is usually hard for White to tolerate, so White will often look to trade it off with the bishop on c1. Once the pawn on e5 recaptures on f4, the bishop on g7 gets its diagonal wide open.

The Main Variations of the King's Indian Defense

Here are the main King's Indian Defense variations.

The Classical Variation

The Classical Variation is reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5.

Diagramposition after 6...e5, the Classical Variation base position

This position is very complex. Neither side knows yet when the central tension will be resolved. Will White capture on e5, or push to d5? Will Black capture on d4? Note that the e5 pawn cannot be taken right now.

7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Nxe5 Qxd1 9.Bxd1 Nxe4

Diagramposition after 9...Nxe4

Black gets the pawn back and ends up with a very healthy position, having managed to free the fianchettoed bishop along the way.

Let's go back to the base position of the Classical King's Indian.

DiagramClassical Variation base position, repeated

From this position, White can steer the game into several different variations.

The Exchange Variation

This variation is reached with the moves 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Qxd8 Rxd8.

Diagramposition after 8...Rxd8, the Exchange Variation

In practice, Black has no real problems here and often manages to exploit the weak d4 square.

The Mar del Plata Variation

The game continues with 7.O-O Nc6 8.d5 Ne7.

Diagramthe Mar del Plata Variation

By playing the knight to c6, Black forces White to make a decision in the center. After the d5 push, the center closes, and Black can go for a direct attack on White's short-castled king by advancing the f-, g- and h-pawns. That pawn avalanche is the King's Indian's signature plan. White has resources of his own too. The push b4, the Bayonet Attack, followed by c5 is very strong and can create problems for Black quickly.

Black avoided the whole Mar del Plata for years, until Teimour Radjabov brought it back into fashion. The name comes from the Argentine seaside city where the variation made its reputation.

The Gligoric System

Watch out, this variation is dangerous for Black. The Gligoric System is defined by the move 7.Be3.

Diagramposition after 7.Be3, the Gligoric System

White's plan is to follow up with d5 and Nd2, reaching an ideal placement of the pieces. The idea of Ng4, harassing the white bishop on e3, has not proven effective. These days Black tends to head instead for an exchange on d4 followed by a quick c6 and d5 to fight for counterplay, and with real success.

The Petrosian System

White closes the center immediately with 7.d5.

Diagramposition after 7.d5, the Petrosian System

White wants to follow up with Bg5 and Nd2 for an interesting piece setup, then continue expanding on the queenside with b4 and c5, while keeping an eye on Black's kingside play with f3. Black often replies 7...a5 to slow down White's queenside expansion and plant a knight on c5.

Now for three variations that do not begin from the Classical move order.

The Sämisch Variation

Another dangerous line for Black. White plays f3 on the fifth move.

Diagramposition after 5.f3, the Sämisch Variation

White's idea is to continue with Be3, Qd2 and possibly castling queenside, followed by an attack on Black's castled king. Black has a choice of structures in reply, and can even transpose into a Benoni-type structure by playing c5.

The Four Pawns Attack

This time it is f4 that White plays on the fifth move.

Diagramposition after 5.f4, the Four Pawns Attack

White's center looks imposing, but Black is not without resources. Black can, for instance, transpose again into a Benoni-type structure with c5, reaching a perfectly sound game.

The Fianchetto Variation

The Fianchetto Variation is a very popular way for White to meet the King's Indian. It is reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 d6 5.g3 O-O 6.Bg2.

Diagramposition after 6.Bg2, the Fianchetto Variation

White voluntarily leaves the a8-h1 diagonal open so that the light-squared bishop can have as much impact as possible on the position. Black now has plenty of ways to play, though none of them lead to a clearly comfortable equality.

Famous King's Indian Games

Here are a few games that have gone down in the history of chess. Let's start with the great Bobby Fischer.

Game viewer — Korchnoi vs Fischer, Herceg Novi blitz 1970, King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Modern System, 0-1

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Bobby Fischer's twenty-fourth move, the knight retreat to h8, is legendary. That remarkable maneuver let him wrap up his attack in style.

Kasparov's King's Indian

Now for a ferocious attack from Garry Kasparov.

Game viewer — Korchnoi vs Kasparov, Amsterdam VSB 1991, King's Indian Defense, 0-1

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Radjabov, a Modern King's Indian Specialist

To finish, here is a game from Teimour Radjabov, showing just how dynamic the modern King's Indian can be.

Game viewer — Shirov vs Radjabov, Corus Group A, Wijk aan Zee 2007, King's Indian Defense, Bayonet Attack (E97), 0-1

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The King's Indian Attack

Nothing stops White from playing a King's Indian setup as well. In that case it takes on a different name, the King's Indian Attack. Here is the structure White wants to reach.

Diagramtarget setup for the King's Indian Attack (pawns d3, e4, g3; knights d2, f3; bishop g2)

Bobby Fischer notably demonstrated the strength of this setup playing White. He used it with great success against the French Defense. Here is one of his most famous games with it.

Game viewer — Fischer vs Myagmarsuren, Sousse Interzonal 1967, King's Indian Attack, 1-0

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In the final position, it is mate after 31...Kxh7 32.hxg6+ Kxg6 33.Be4# (or, if Black tries 32...Kg8 instead, 33.Rh8# is mate just the same). One of the most beautiful checkmates in the history of the game.

Your Move

That was our guide to how to play the King's Indian Defense. We hope you found it useful. Feel free to share it if it helped. Here are some good next steps.

  • Browse our overview of the main chess openings to see where the King's Indian fits in
  • The King's Indian shares its opening moves with the Grünfeld Defense, Black's other great fighting reply to 1.d4
  • Learn the Italian Game, the classic way to open with White

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