King's Indian Defense - Summary

 

Christer Sundqvist: New ideas in the King's Indian Defense

This is a summary of a massive analysis package that includes the King's Indian Defense. I'd like to demonstrate a typical line of play in order to pique your interest in this rapidly evolving chess opening.

With a small investment from your side, I can send the entire package (6 PGN files) to your e-mail address. I use this blog to help me cope with the enormous number of draws in correspondence chess. I'm only doing it for fun, not for financial gain. I also provide you with regular updates at no additional cost. I use PayPal, MobilePay, and standard IBAN bank transfers. Please tell me how you want to receive the chess opening package. My email is turpaduunari@outlook.com.

If you believe my request for money is unethical or greedy, I am willing to consider alternative options (exchange of valuable ideas or other forms of cooperation).

I have used these resources:

• Batsford's Modern Chess Openings (15th edition) = MCO
• Chess Cloud Database Query Mode (https://www.chessdb.cn/queryc_en/) = CCD
• Chess Informant 166
• Chessbase software
• Gawain Jones. Chessable Lifetime Repertoires - King's Indian Defense Part 1, 2024
• ICCF Games Archive (https://www.iccf.com/message?message=454 ) 1961–2026
• Vassilios Kotronias. Kotronias on the King's Indian-Mar del Plata I. Qualiry Chess, 2015
• Opening Master Chess Database (https://www.openingmaster.com/)
• Personal chess database (approx. 90 million games)
• Stockfish 17 chess engine
• Sundqvist, Christer. The King's Indian Defense played by a strong correspondence chess player 2019-2026
• The Week in Chess (https://theweekinchess.com/twic ) 1994–2026

The analysis package consists of six files:

1. 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 (downloadable PGN-file (2.08 Mb)
2. 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3
3. 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2
4. 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f4
5. 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.h3
6. 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.other 
   

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 [The King’s Indian Defence came into existence during the “hypermodern” era of the 1920s. However it rose to prominence in the 1940s, when Bronstein, Boleslavsky, and Reshevsky scored brilliant victories with it. Thirty years later, when Bobby Fischer became World Champion, the King’s Indian was at the absolute height of fashion. It was Fischer’s main defence to the queen pawn and the opening seemed to be active, sound, and reliable. Later Kasparov would pick up the torch and continue the cause of the black pieces. The pendulum has swung back in the last decades as players of the White side have prevented some methods of counterplay and found ways to punish Black’s lack of space. Kramnik in particular has inflicted great suffering upon players of the black pieces from the 1990s to the present day. On the White side one also must definitely mention Korchnoi, who has continued to find new strategies at the top level for more than fifty years. Nonetheless, today the King’s Indian attracts many aggressive young grandmasters (as eighty years ago) who keep it in the forefront of modern chess opening theory.]

5.Nf3 

This article covers new trends in the Classical line of play and the analysis is published in file #1. Other 5th White move options are covered in separate files (a total of 6 files).

5...0–0 [Castling is by far the most frequent move by Black.]

[5...Bg4 Pinning the knight on f3 is a reasonable alternative. Nakamura and Duda prefer 5...Nbd7 6.Be2 This is the main response by White and played by for example Ding Liren, Arjun Erigaisi and Alexei Sarana. 

6...Bxf3

A) 7.Bxf3 e5 8.d5 h5 9.h4 Nbd7 10.g3

White is slightly better and the game can continue like this:10...Bh6 11.Bxh6 Rxh6 12.Qd2 (12.Bg2 Former World Champion Ding Liren chose a different move. 12...a5 13.Bh3 Nc5 14.Qe2 Kf8 15.Kf1 Kg7 16.Kg2 somewhat perplexing moves with the king. 16...Qe7 17.b3 Rhh8 18.Rab1 c6 19.Rhd1 Rhd8 20.Qe3 After a long struggle White was unable to work it out properly ; 0–1 (64) Ding,L (2734)-Indjic,A (2635) Danzhou 2025) 12...Rh8 13.Bg2 Kf8 14.0–0–0 a6 15.f4 b5 16.Rhf1 Kg7 17.Kb1 Rb8 18.cxb5 axb5 19.fxe5 The position is equal 19...Nxe5 20.Ne2 Nfd7 21.Nd4 Qe7 22.Rf4 Rhf8 23.Rdf1 Kh7 24.Qe2 Ra8 25.Bh3 Ra4 26.Qd1 Nc5 27.Bf5 Kg8 28.Bxg6 Rxd4 29.Bxf7+ ½–½ (29) Cvek,R (2397)-Haring,F (2464) Prague CZE 2025;

B) 7.gxf3 Erigaisi plays like this 7...Nfd7 8.f4 Nc6 9.e5 e6 10.h4 h5 11.Be3 Ne7 12.Bd3 Nb6 13.Qc2

White is better 13...d5 14.cxd5 Nbxd5 15.Nxd5 Qxd5 16.Be4 Qa5+ 17.b4 Qxb4+ 18.Kd1 0–0–0 19.Rb1 White is clearly better 19...Rxd4+ 20.Bxd4 Qxd4+ 21.Ke2 Nd5 22.Bxd5 Qxd5 23.Rhd1 Qa5 Erigaisi failed to convert his decisive advantage to a win ; ½–½ (66) Erigaisi,A (2778)-Livaic,L (2550) Deggendorf GER 2025]

6.Be2 [The Classical Variation has managed to get through its ups and downs and develop a massive pedigree, culminating in its current feverish popularity. The main line, 6...e5 7 0–0 Nc6 8 d5 Ne7 9 Ne1, eventually leads combatants to move 25 and beyond before novelties are sprung. Expect to encounter games by the strongest chess players over the board and correspondence chess players (Carlsen, Caruana, Nakamura, Firouzja, Robson, Borstnik, Zidu, Korzun, Perevertkin etc.)]

6.h3 e5 7.d5 a5 8.Bg5 h6 9.Be3 These strange bishop-moves are made to weaken Black's kingside. 

9...Na6 10.g4

White is slightly better and makes remarkably active moves.10...Nc5 11.Nd2 Nfd7 12.Be2 c6 13.h4 cxd5 14.cxd5 f5 15.gxf5 gxf5 16.exf5

White is clearly better16...Nf6 17.Rg1 Kh8 18.Qc2 Na6?! 19.a3 Bd7? (19...Nc7 maybe Black needs to strengthen the center of the board.) 20.Nc4 Qe7 21.Nb6 Rad8 22.0–0–0

White has been building up a decisive advantage, but in a recent game this did not pay off 22...Be8 23.Kb1 Nh5 0–1 (45) Devaev,A (2306)-Mahdavi,R (2436) chess.com INT 2025;

6.Be3 The Larsen Variation. White’s third choice on move 6, although much rarer than 6.Be2 or 6.h3. 

6...e5 7.d5 a5 White’s problem is that without playing h2–h3 …Ng4 is always going to be a pain. Let us see what happens, when White plays something else. 8.Bd3 There’s no reason this should be a better square than e2. White has less control of the g4–square, and the bishop will be hit when a knight lands on c5. 8...Na6 9.0–0 9.h3 would actually be the best move. 9...Nc5 (9...Ng4 also ...Ng4 is good) 10.Bc2 Nfd7 11.Nd2 f5 12.Nb3?! Nxb3 13.axb3 f4

Black is better 

14.Bd2 f3 15.g3 Nf6 16.Re1 Bh3 17.Bd3 Qd7 18.Qc2 Bg2 19.Nd1 Qh3 20.Ne3 Bh6 21.Bxa5 Bxe3 22.fxe3 Ng4 0–1 (22) Lee,K (2072)-Klukin,K (2430) Chess.com INT 2025]

6...e5 [6...Nbd7 The 6…Nbd7 variation is less about remembering long lines of theory and more about understanding key concepts. By developing the knight first, it is possible to bypass various White setups, including the dull Exchange Variation. 7.0–0 e5

The knight on d7 rather than c6 creates important differences in the dynamics of the position. The big advantage is that d4–d5 no longer comes with tempo and gives Black the potential of a strong knight on c5. The disadvantage is that there is less pressure on White’s centre, in particular the d4–pawn. 

8.Be3 White’s overwhelmingly most popular choice. 8...Qe7 In his book Gawain Jones recommends putting pressure on White’s e4–pawn. (8...exd4 9.Nxd4 Nc5 10.f3 b6 11.Qd2 Ne6 12.Rae1 Bb7 13.Bd1 Nd7 14.f4 Nec5 15.Bc2 Re8 16.f5 Ne5 17.b3 Ng4 18.Bf4 a5 19.Kh1 Qh4 20.Kg1 Qd8

A high-quality correspondence chess game ended in a draw: ½–½ (39) Mezera,L (2370)-Dzenis,J (2304) ICCF 2024) 

9.Qc2 Defending the pawn and delaying fixing the centre. 9...c6 10.Rad1 Probably White’s best move, although it’s actually not so clear if the rook is better placed on a1 or d1 once the centre is closed. 10...h6 Black is controlling the g5–square and thus preparing to jump the knight to g4 without allowing Bg5. 11.h3 The best way for White to go if he doesn’t want a blockaded centre. 11...exd4 Now that White has committed to h2–h3, this is the right time to capture on d4. Black is having a keen desire to exploit the weakness of the g3–square. 12.Bxd4 White’s most common recapture. By opening the e-file it is easier to defend the e4–pawn. 12...Re8 13.Rfe1 b6 Black continues to develop and is putting further pressure on the e4–pawn. 14.Bf1 Bb7 15.a3 Gawain Jones recommends a slower approach than 15.e5. 15...Rad8 16.b4 Nf8 17.b5 The logical continuation. 17...c5 18.Nd5 Otherwise White simply drops the e4–pawn. 18...Bxd5 19.exd5 Qd7 20.Be3 Re7

White is a little better with his bishop pair and space advantage, but Black's position is solid.]

7.0–0 

[7.d5 is the Petrosian System, which forces Black to manoeuvre before kingside play can be begun. 7...a5 8.Bg5 This move is really the key to the Petrosian strategy. 8...h6 It’s worth clarifying White’s intentions. 9.Bh4 The traditional retreat. White’s hope is that this pin will slow down Black's counterplay long enough for him to find an ideal piece setup. 9...Na6 10.Nd2 A multi-purpose move. White overprotects the e4–pawn, opens up the d1–h5 diagonal preventing us from grabbing the other bishop with …g6–g5 and …Nh5, and opens an escape route for the bishop with f2–f3 and Bf2. 10...Bd7 10…Qe8 is the main move, but we have a sneaky idea in mind. 11.0–0 White doesn’t see any difference. 11...Nc5 12.Qc2 b6 A subtle waiting move. We give our knight more protection and ask White how he’s continuing. If he plays 13.f3 , then we can exploit it with the usual 13…Qe8 followed by …Nh5. 13.b3 g5 Here Black can generate a quick kingside initiative. 14.Bg3 h5 15.h4 Trying to block Black is just too dangerous. I had this position in a recent 45–minute game, said Gawain Jones. 15...Nh7 Much stronger than Gawain's choice of 15…Bh6 . 16.hxg5 Nxg5 17.Bxh5 f5 At the cost of a pawn, Black has an extremely dangerous initiative. 18.exf5 Bxf5 19.Qd1 e4

White’s pieces coordinate terribly. Black has a fantastic g7–bishop and knight on c5. The simplest plan is to bring the queen into the attack with either …Qf6–h6 or …Nh7 and …Qg5. White has big problems down the long diagonal and will have to be very careful not to get mated down the h-file. This idea of Gawain has not been put to practice yet!; 

7.Be3 The Gligorić-Taimanov System is the choice of Carlsen, Ivanchuck, Bluebaum, So and so on, so it can't be all that bad! 7...Ng4 Immediately challenging the bishop is the most thematic response. 8.Bg5 f6

Where should White put the bishop? 9.Bh4 The mainline response. White attempts to slow Black's kingside play. 9...Nc6 Black tries to make the game simpler. 10.d5 Ne7 11.Nd2 By far the most popular move. 11...f5 Forcing matters. 12.Bxg4 The only critical response. White gives up his bishop to create this strange structure. If White doesn’t take on g4, Black should be very happy. 12...fxg4 13.Bg5 White needs to waste another tempo with his bishop. 13...h6 14.Be3 c5 Preventing White from playing c4–c5. Now White has a big decision to make: to take en-passant or not? 15.dxc6 Fabiano Caruana’s approach, and so obviously, we need to take it very seriously. The game becomes sharp. 15...bxc6 16.b4 d5 17.exd5 cxd5 18.Bc5 Putting maximum pressure on Black's position. 18...e4 19.Bxe7 Qxe7 20.Nxd5 Qf7 Black threatens mate on f2, so White has to give the exchange. 20…Qg5!? is also interesting. 21.0–0 Bxa1 22.Qxa1

22...Be6 (22...Bf5 1–0 (52) Caruana,F (2783)-Radjabov,T (2713) Shamkir 2014 continued like this, but let's follow a more recent game.) 23.Ne3 Rad8 24.Qc1 ½–½ (24) Rahul,S (2472)-Homa,S (2219) Charlotte 2025; 

7.dxe5 The Exchange Variation is drawish, but the play can get exciting. 7...dxe5 8.Qxd8 Rxd8 9.Bg5 Due to the threat of Nd5 White gains a tempo. 9...Re8 10.Nd5 The most forcing continuation. White instigates further exchanges. 10...Nxd5 11.cxd5 c6 White now has the better structure, so we should rush to exchange these pawns. 12.Bc4 White’s overwhelming choice. White hopes for some advantage thanks to his active bishop, but Black will be able to exploit it. 12...cxd5 13.Bxd5 Nd7! The mainline, and the recent choice of Magnus Carlsen. Here Black is doing well if he can get rid of the d5–bishop with …h7–h6 and …Nf6, when White is unable to move the bishop as the e4–pawn would fall. 14.Nd2 White overprotects the e4–pawn. 14...Nc5 Now that White has been forced to go passive Black is changing the plan. Black is now ready to put a piece, probably the bishop, on e6. 15.0–0–0 White brings the rook into the game. In the ending his king will do a useful job defending the b-pawn. 15...Be6

16.Bxe6 Nxe6 An equal position from 2006 K. Georgiev-Sutovsky, Gibraltar. 17.Be3 f5 A very ambitious plan. Black intends to play …b7–b6 and …Rac8+ followed by expanding on the kingside with …h7–h5–h4, and try to put some pressure on White. An alternative plan is 17…Bf8 followed by exchanging bishops on c5. Both are absolutely fine. 18.f3 Rac8+ 19.Kb1 b6 20.Rc1 h5 ½–½ (20) Marchant,A (2364)-Tanti,J (2355) ICCF 2025]

7...Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 [Produces some of the most sparkling variations the chessboard has ever seen.]

9.b4 [This is the Bayonet Attack. This line has a fearsome reputation after it was used successfully by Vladimir Kramnik against Garry Kasparov.]

[9.Ne1 In the 9.Ne1 variation the creative Black players will have the opportunity to show their full potential, as it requires a combination of positional and tactical mastery. 9...Nd7 This is the main line. 10.Be3

Kotronias is tempted to name this the Korchnoi Variation as the great man has contributed a lot to its development over the years. 10...f5 11.f3 f4 12.Bf2 The bishop has settled on the critical gl -a7 diagonal, and White is ready to launch his queenside campaign by preparing c4–c5. 12...g5 13.Nd3 This variation is seen rather more in Correspondence than over-the-board chess these days. It’s probably too much for White players to remember. One slip and they’ll get mated! (Jones) (13.Rc1 These days this is generally the precursor to sacrificing the c-pawn to generate faster counterplay. White may still transpose back to the mainlines with a subsequent Nd3. 13...Ng6 14.c5! Speed is of the essence so White sacrifices a pawn for quick queenside play. This move was introduced in 1998 by Kozul. 14...Nxc5 15.b4 Na6 16.Nb5 b6 17.Nd3 Rf7 18.Rc3 h5 19.h3 Bf6 20.Be1 Qd7 21.Nf2 White is slightly better, but play is very complicated ; 0–1 (51) So,W (2778)-Grischuk,A (2766) Paris 2018) 13...Nf6

14.c5 Ng6 15.Rc1 The mainline. White threatens to capture on d6 followed by Nb5. 15...Rf7 An important reaction. Black needs to defend the c7–square to prevent White’s knight hop. 16.Nb5 a6 Before breaking with …g5–g4 Black should first expel the knight. 17.Na3 g4 18.Nc4 g3 19.hxg3 fxg3 20.Bxg3 Nh5 21.Bh2 Bh6 22.Rc2 b5 23.cxb6

23...cxb6 ½–½ (33) Hunger,H (2408)-Tanti,J (2393) ICCF 2025; 

9.Bg5 The Odessa Variation. White’s idea is to exchange his dark-squared bishop for Black's knight on f6 and leave Black with a misplaced one on e7. 9...Ne8 Gawain Jones thinks this makes sense. White’s not interested in exchanging for the e7–knight, and so will gain back time on White’s bishop. 10.Nd2 f5 Here Black should push the f-pawn immediately. 11.f3 Thematic but risky. 11...f4

An odd version of the Classical variation. White is hoping that his bishop will annoy Black, but in fact he needs to be very careful. 12.Bh4 Kh8 Putting the king in the corner is almost always useful, but here Black has a sneaky follow-up in mind! 13.b4 g5 An excellent pawn sacrifice. 14.Bxg5 Declining the pawn would give Black a souped-up version of the classical mainlines. 14...Bf6 15.Bxf6+ Rxf6 Black has an extremely dangerous play for the pawn. Next up are …Rh6, …Ng6 and …Qh4. The nice caveman approach looks extremely difficult to halt. 16.Rf2 Rh6 17.g4 fxg3 18.hxg3 Ng6 19.Nf1 Qg5 20.Rh2 Rxh2 21.Kxh2 Nf6 22.Qd2 Nf4!!

23.Kg1 N6h5 24.Kf2 Nxg3 25.Nxg3 Nh3+ 0–1 (34) Nikcevic,N (2340)-Djukic,N (2480) Darfo Boario Terme ITA 2025]

9...Nh5 10.Re1! [Kramnik’s answer to 9...Nh5 continues to give Black trouble.]

10...f5 11.a4 a5 [11...Nf6 12.Nd2 Bh6 13.a5 Bxd2 14.Bxd2 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 fxe4 16.Bf1 Bf5 17.g4

Caruana is clearly better17...Bd7 18.Bg2 Kh8 19.Rxe4 Ng8 20.g5 Ne7 21.f4 exf4 22.Bc3+ Kg8 23.Qd4 1–0 (23) Caruana,F (2803)-Taboas Rodriguez,D (2335) chess.com INT 2025]

12.bxa5 [12.b5 b6 13.Ra3 Nf6 14.Ng5 h6 15.Ne6 Bxe6 16.dxe6 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 fxe4 18.h4 Nf5 19.Qd5 Qe7 20.Rh3 e3 21.Bxe3 Rae8 22.h5 Qxe6 23.hxg6 Nxe3 24.fxe3 e4 ½–½ (39) Stocker,C (2437)-Szerlak,A (2421) ICCF 2024]

12...Rxa5 13.exf5 [13.Bd2 Nf6 14.Ra3 Ra8 15.exf5 Nxf5 16.Bd3 Nd4 17.Ng5 h6 18.Nge4 b6 19.Nxf6+ Qxf6 20.Be3 Nf5 21.Bc1 Nd4 22.Ne4 Qf7 23.h3 Kh7 24.Be3 Bd7 25.Bb1 Nf5 26.Bd2 ½–½ (26) Kirkov,T (2434)-Dimov,D (2359) ICCF 2025]

13...Nxf5 14.Bg5 Nf6 15.Bd3 [1–0 (15) Meyer,J (2337)-Nouveau,L (2274) ICCF 2025]

15...Nh6 16.Ne4 [16.Ra3 Several hard-fought draws have been played by strong correspondence chess players. 16...Nf7 17.Bh4 b6 18.Ne4 Bf5 19.Bc2 Nh6

20.Bg5 Nf7 21.Bd2 Nxe4 22.Bxe4 Ra8 23.Qc2 Bxe4 24.Qxe4 Bh6 25.Rea1 Bxd2 26.Nxd2 Qg5 27.Qe2 Ra5 28.Nb3 Ra7 29.Nd2 Ra5 30.Nb3 Ra7 31.Nd2 Ra5 ½–½ (31) Stocker,C (2419)-Szerlak,A (2416) ICCF 2025]

16...Nf7 17.Bd2 Ra8 18.h3 Nxe4 19.Bxe4 b6 20.Qc2 Bh6 21.Bxg6 Bxd2 22.Bxf7+ Rxf7 23.Qxd2 Rg7 24.Kh1 Qf6 25.Re3 Qh6 26.Rea3 Qg6 27.Ne1 Qe4 

28.Qc1 [GM-level correspondence chess play! ½–½ (28) Forslöf,L (2478)-Matsukevich,V (2456) ICCF 2025]