King's Indian Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6

Let White build the big centre, then hit it. ...Nf6, ...g6, ...Bg7, ...O-O, ...d6 and the strike ...e5 — the same five moves against everything, and a kingside attack that beginners love to play and hate to face.

Spar this opening

Your setup

Bishopg7
Knightf6 / e8 / d7 / h5
Knightc6 / d7 / a6 / e7
Pawnsg6 d6
CastleO-O

d6 before e5. ...d6 first. ...e5 without ...d6 lets dxe5 take the pawn with nothing to recapture.

Ideas

Let them build the centre, then strike

You don't fight for the centre with pawns early. You develop, castle, and hit it with ...e5 when everything is ready.

White's big centre (c4, d4, e4) is a target as much as an asset. ...Bg7 and ...e5 pressure d4; when White pushes d5 the centre locks and your kingside attack begins.

...d6, not ...d5

The pawn goes to d6, supporting ...e5. ...d5 hands White a big centre with tempo.

After ...d5 exd5 White's pawns roll forward and your bishop on g7 stares at a wall. ...d6 keeps the position flexible and prepares the real strike.

Castle by move 5 or 6

...Bg7 then ...O-O before anything else. Your king is safest behind the fianchetto.

Everything in the King's Indian depends on a safe king: the ...e5 strike, the ...f5 attack, and rerouting the knights all need the king tucked away first.

The strike: ...e5

Once ...d6 and ...O-O are in, ...e5 asks d4 the question: push, take, or hold.

If dxe5 dxe5, the queens may come off — that's fine, you're equal and solid. If d5, the centre locks and you start the kingside attack. If White holds, keep the tension with ...Nc6.

When White plays d5: ...Ne7 and ...f5

The centre is locked. Reroute: ...Ne7, then ...Nd7 or ...Ne8 so the f-pawn can go ...f5.

A locked centre means a race on the wings. Your race is ...f5, ...f4, ...g5, rook lifts. White's is c5 and b4–b5. Whoever attacks faster wins, so don't defend — attack.

Against f4 (Four Pawns): hit with ...c5

Four pawns is too many. ...c5 undermines d4 before White's attack starts.

The Four Pawns Attack leaves White behind in development. ...c5 forces d5 (then ...e6 breaks it) or dxc5, and their over-extended pawns become targets.

Against g3: ...d6, ...Nbd7, then ...e5

The Fianchetto is quiet. Prepare ...e5 with ...Nbd7 first so dxe5 doesn't win a pawn.

With the bishop on g2 White has no direct attack. ...Nbd7 supports ...e5; then ...e5 and you're comfortable.

When the book runs out

Locked centre → ...f5, ...f4, ...g5, ...Rf7–g7. Open centre → pieces to the centre and trade when equal.

The King's Indian is a race on opposite wings. Push your kingside pawns and pieces at maximum speed; passive defence loses.

The structure

The Classical King's Indian: king castled, ...d6 and ...e5 in, ...Nc6 pressing d4. When d5 comes, the knights reroute and ...f5 launches the attack.

Model games

Classical Variation

d4 Nf6 c4 g6 Nc3 Bg7 e4 d6 Nf3 O-O Be2 e5 O-O Nc6

Develop, castle, ...d6 then the ...e5 strike; ...Nc6 keeps the tension until White pushes d5.

Fianchetto Variation

d4 Nf6 c4 g6 Nf3 Bg7 g3 O-O Bg2 d6 O-O Nbd7

Against the quiet g3 setup, ...Nbd7 supports ...e5 so the strike doesn't drop a pawn.

Sämisch Variation

d4 Nf6 c4 g6 Nc3 Bg7 e4 d6 f3 O-O Be3 e5

f3 is slow; castle and strike with ...e5 as usual.

Four Pawns Attack

d4 Nf6 c4 g6 Nc3 Bg7 e4 d6 f4 O-O Nf3 c5

Four pawns is too many: ...c5 undermines d4 while White is behind in development.

How the coach grades a move

Every move you play gets one of six grades, from the engine’s view of the position, with the book’s verdict taking over when it is harsher. The sentence beside it is always the reason. Tap it for what the move did, why this opening wants it, and whether anything was better.

Best: Nothing better was available.
Good: Within a few percent of best. Noise at this depth.
Playable: A small real gap. The better move is named, play goes on.
Inaccuracy: Seven to twelve points of winning chances. The game stops to show you.
Mistake: Twelve or more, or a move the book warns against, or a broken order rule.
Blunder: Twenty-five or more. Usually material.

Catalogued as E60–E99 in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings, the reference index most databases sort by.