♚ blackE60-E99

King's Indian Defense

The King's Indian Defense (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7) is one of the most dynamic and fighting defenses in chess. Black allows White a big center and then counterattacks with ...e5 or ...c5.

Variations

About the King's Indian Defense

The King's Indian is a hypermodern defense where Black fianchettoes the bishop and lets White build a pawn center, then strikes back. The Classical Variation (with ...e5 and ...Nd7) leads to rich strategic battles where both sides attack on opposite wings. The Saemisch (f3) and Four Pawns Attack are White's most aggressive tries. Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov, and Hikaru Nakamura are among its greatest practitioners.

Key Ideas

Let White build a center, then counterattack with ...e5 or ...c5
The fianchettoed bishop on g7 is a powerful attacking piece
After ...e5 and d5, play on opposite wings — Black attacks kingside
...f5 is the key kingside pawn break in many lines
Be ready for sharp tactical battles

Related Openings

King's Indian: Classical Pirc Defense Grunfeld Defense Benoni Defense

Ready to master the King's Indian Defense?

Import this one or your own lines from YouTube, Lichess, or PGN and train with spaced repetition.