King's Indian Defense: the complete guide
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6
Long considered dubious, the King's Indian became a legend in the hands of Bronstein, Boleslavsky, then Fischer and Kasparov: concede the center, castle short, and hurl ...f5 at the enemy king. The most violent defense to 1.d4.
How it starts, move by move
- 1. d4d4 occupies the center.
- ... Nf6Nf6 develops the knight and controls e4 and d5.
- 2. c4c4 controls d5.
- ... g6g6 repositions the pawn.
Both sides plans
White's plan
Occupy the center, develop quickly, castle, then pick a wing.
Black's plan
Contest the center before White occupies all of it.
What is actually played
Real shares of the continuations after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6, Lichess games by Elo band.
| Continuation | Elo 1400 | Elo 1600 | Elo 1800 | Elo 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. Nc3 | 70 % | 76 % | 81 % | 82 % |
| 3. g3 | 2 % | 2 % | 2 % | 4 % |
| 4. g3 | 1 % | 1 % | 1 % | 2 % |
The main variations
- King's Indian DefenseE611. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3
- Normal VariationE701. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4
- Normal VariationE701. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6
- Fianchetto VariationE601. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3
- Normal Variation, Rare DefensesE901. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6
- Orthodox VariationE911. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6
- Sämisch VariationE801. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6
- Sämisch Variation, Normal DefenseE811. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6
- Orthodox VariationE921. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6
- Orthodox VariationE941. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6
- Four Pawns AttackE761. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6
- Orthodox Variation, Aronin-Taimanov DefenseE971. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6
Frequently asked questions
- What moves start the King's Indian Defense?
- The King's Indian Defense starts with 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6. Every move is explained in the interactive explorer.
- How many named variations does the King's Indian Defense have?
- 119 named variations, from the Lichess ECO database. The main ones are listed on this page; the full tree lives in the branch map.
- What is the most played continuation?
- Around 2000 Elo, the most frequent continuation is 3. Nc3, played in 82% of games (Lichess data).
- How can I learn the King's Indian Defense for free?
- The explorer, free play, review cards and the essential ★1 course of the King's Indian Defense are free on OpeningMate. The ★2 to ★5 levels and per-variation courses are part of Premium.
Every move explained, never a dead end.
Learn the King's Indian Defense for free