Chess opening · ECO E61

King's Indian Defense

In the King's Indian Defense, Black lets White occupy the center. White can set up pawns on c4, d4 and e4 while Black fianchettoes, plays ...d6 and castles short. Only then does Black hit back, usually with ...e5 or ...c5. The opening accepts a lack of space early in exchange for clear targets in White's big center later.

Rank by weighted share: #64 of 159

After 3. Nc3, Black to move.

Key moves

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3

2... g6The fianchetto starts here. The bishop on g7 will sit behind the f6 knight and point at d4, so every time White's center loosens, the long diagonal opens toward the queenside.
3. Nc3White develops the knight to c3, the natural support for e2-e4. With the knight on c3 already covering e4, Black must decide now whether to allow the full center or stop it with ...d5.

The standard King's Indian setup

Black's usual moves are ...Bg7, ...d6 and ...O-O, in almost any order. The d6 pawn covers e5, so White's e-pawn cannot advance there without being taken, and the king tucks in behind the g6 pawn with the bishop next to it.

White has many ways to arrange the rest of the army: Nf3 with Be2, f3 with Be3, f4 to grab even more space, or g3 with a bishop on g2. Each one changes how hard White's center is to attack.

Choosing between ...e5 and ...c5

The push ...e5 hits d4 directly. If White answers d5, the center locks and both sides attack on opposite wings, White on the queenside and Black with ...f5 on the kingside. The push ...c5 invites d5 as well. Then no pawn stands on the long diagonal between g7 and b2, and Black opens lines with ...e6 or ...b5.

Top replies by rating

Bg7 leads every band, but the d5 share climbs steadily with rating, from 20 at 1200 to 1399 to 40 at 2000 and up.

Rating	Top	Second	Third
1200–1399	Bg7 76%	d5 20%	d6 4%
1400–1599	Bg7 68%	d5 27%	d6 3%
1600–1799	Bg7 66%	d5 30%	d6 3%
1800–1999	Bg7 65%	d5 31%	d6 2%
2000 and up	Bg7 57%	d5 40%	c5 2%

How the weighted shares are counted

Questions

How is this different from the Grünfeld?

Both put a bishop on g7. In the Grünfeld Black plays ...d5 right away and challenges the center at once. In the King's Indian Black waits with ...d6 and strikes later with ...e5 or ...c5.

Indian Defense: West Indian Defense1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 Grünfeld Defense1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2

Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.

Play a coached game →Analyze a game →