King's Indian Defense

King's Indian Defense is a chess opening with the ECO code E61. It goes 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... Nf6. After 5 moves it is Black to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.

The moves

• 1. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
• 1... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
• 2. c4 – White plays the pawn to c4
• 2... g6 – Black plays the pawn to g6
• 3. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 3... d5, 3... Bg7.

About the King's Indian Defense

Black plays ...Nf6, ...g6, ...Bg7, ...O-O and ...d6, letting White build a big centre, then strikes back at it. It is a fighting, attacking defence.

• Black strikes the centre with ...e5 or ...c5.
• When the centre locks with d5, Black attacks the king with ...f5, ...f4 and ...g5.
• White usually attacks on the queenside with c5 and b4; it becomes a race.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the King's Indian Defense course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Indian Defense: West Indian Defense (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6)
• Continues with: Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation – adds 3... Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. g3
• Continues with: Grünfeld Defense – adds 3... d5
• Continues with: King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation – adds 3... Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. e3
• Continues with: King's Indian Defense: Smyslov Variation – adds 3... Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. Bg5
• Continues with: King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Delayed Fianchetto – adds 3... Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. g3
• Continues with: King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation – adds 3... Bg7 4. e4
• Related line: King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation, Hollywood Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3 O-O 5. e3 d6 6. Be2 Nc6)
• Related line: King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Benjamin Defense (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. g3 O-O 6. Bg2 c6 7. O-O Qb6)
• Related line: King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation, Benoni Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. e3 d6 6. Be2 c6)
• Related line: King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. e3 d6 6. Be2)
• Related line: King's Indian Defense: Santasiere Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. b4)
• Related line: King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation, Exchange Variation (1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. e3 d6 6. Be2 Nbd7 7. O-O e5 8. dxe5 dxe5)

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