King's Indian Defense
Move Sequence
d4— Queen's pawn forward — positional play lies ahead.♞f6— Black prevents e4 and develops at once.c4— Classical pawn chain for a big center.g6— Preparing the fianchetto — the heart of the King's Indian.
The King's Indian Defence is regarded as one of the most exciting and dynamic openings in chess. It begins with 1.d4 ♞f6 2.c4 g6 3.♞c3 ♝g7 4.e4 d6 — Black builds up the fianchettoed bishop on g7 and deliberately cedes the centre to White. The King's Indian was popularised in the 20th century by players such as David Bronstein and Efim Geller, and later developed into a major weapon by Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov.
The main line continues 5.♞f3 O-O 6.♝e2 e5, after which typical mutual wing attacks arise.
Strategy
Black cedes White the centre with pawns on e4 and d4, then attacks it with e7-e5 or c7-c5. The fianchettoed bishop on g7 is Black's strongest weapon, targeting the long diagonal. The strategic theme is a battle between two contrasting plans: White plays on the queenside (c4-c5, b4-b5), Black on the kingside (f7-f5, g6-g5). The tension is enormous and often leads to powerful attacking games.
Typical Continuation
After 6.♝e2 e5 7.O-O ♞c6 8.d5 the classic structure arises. Black closes the centre with d5 and begins the kingside attack with ♞e7-g6-f4 or f7-f5-f4. White uses the open c-file and tries to break through on the queenside. The Sämisch Variation (6.f3) and the Four Pawns Attack (5.f4) are particularly sharp lines that can lead to decisive games very early.
Suitable for: Aggressive / dynamic — for players who prefer complex positions and double-edged attacks.