King's Indian Defense
Give White the center, then blow it up. It is one of the sharpest ways to meet 1.d4.
| First moves | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 |
|---|---|
| ECO codes | E60-E99 |
| Character | Hypermodern, double-edged, attacking |
| Best for | Players who must win with Black and enjoy king-hunts |
Open any line on the analysis board, or play it out against a bot from where it ends.
Related openings
Nimzo-Indian Defense
The Nimzo-Indian is one of the most respected defenses to 1.d4. Black pins the knight, fights for e4, and often hands White doubled pawns to argue about for forty moves.
English Opening
A flank opening that fights for d5 from the side and often transposes into 1.d4 openings. It is named after Howard Staunton, who played it in his 1843 match against Saint-Amant.
Queen's Gambit
One of the oldest openings in chess, mentioned in the Göttingen manuscript of 1490 and still played at the top level today. The Slav and the Semi-Slav both grow out of its first moves.
Grünfeld Defense
Black invites White to build a big pawn center, then attacks it with pieces from the sides. A favorite of world champions.
The hypermodern idea
Black lets White build a pawn center and then attacks it from the sides. The g7-bishop rakes the long diagonal towards d4 and b2, the knights come to f6 and c6 or d7, and only then does Black strike with ...e5 or ...c5.
If White answers ...e5 with d4-d5, the center locks. With the pawns fixed, White plays on the queenside and Black on the kingside, and the game turns into a race.
The Mar del Plata race
After 7.O-O Nc6 8.d5 Ne7, White attacks on the queenside with c4-c5, and Black attacks on the kingside with ...Ne8 or ...Nd7, then ...f5, ...f4, ...g5, ...h5 and often a rook lift. Both sides spend almost every move on their own attack, so a single tempo often decides the game.
This race is the main reason the King's Indian has such a devoted following. It is also why some strong players avoid the main line as White: if White's queenside play is one move too slow, Black's attack can end in mate.
The King's Indian punishes hesitation. If you attack on the kingside with one eye on defending the queenside, you will usually end up worse on both wings, so commit to the attack.
The other main tries
- Samisch (5.f3): White builds a wall of pawns and often castles queenside to attack. Black hits back with ...e5, with the ...c5 pawn sacrifice, or with ...Nc6, ...a6 and ...b5 on the queenside (the Panno).
- Fianchetto (g3): the quietest, and one of the most popular lines at grandmaster level. White's bishop on g2 blunts the long diagonal and takes the sting out of Black's attack.
- Four Pawns Attack (5.f4): the most aggressive. Black strikes immediately with ...c5 before White consolidates.
Frequently asked questions
Is the King's Indian Defense good for beginners?
The setup is easy to learn, since you play the same six moves against almost anything. The middlegames are very sharp, though, and punish slow play. Playing it for a while is a good way to learn attacking technique, even if you lose games along the way.
Is the King's Indian still sound?
At the very top level engines have made some Classical lines hard to hold, and it is less common in elite play than it was in the Kasparov era. Below that level it remains fully playable, and its positions are hard for both sides to handle over the board. On Lichess, in games rated under 2000, Black wins 48% of games after 2...g6, slightly more than the 47% after 2...e6.
What is the plan in the King's Indian?
Fianchetto, castle, play ...e5. If White locks with d5, transfer the pieces to the kingside, play ...f5-f4 and push the g- and h-pawns at the white king. If White does not lock the center, break with ...exd4 or ...c5 and play for piece activity instead.