French Defense & King's Indian Attack
French Defense
Definition
The French Defense is a classical reply by Black to the King’s Pawn opening, arising after the moves 1. e4 e6. Black immediately prepares to challenge the e4–pawn with …d5 on the next move, thereby staking a claim to the center without committing the queen’s bishop too early.
Typical Move-Order
A few of the most common continuations are:
- 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 — Main starting position of the French.
- 3. Nc3 / 3. Nd2 – Tarrasch systems (3…Nf6, 3…Bb4).
- 3. e5 – Advance Variation (…c5 pawn-storm).
- 3. exd5 – Exchange Variation (symmetrical pawn structure).
Strategic Themes
- Imbalanced pawn chains: White usually gets space on the kingside; Black gains counterplay on the queenside and in the center.
- Light-squared bishop dilemma: Black’s c8-bishop is often “bad”; typical plans revolve around exchanging or activating it via …b6, …Ba6, or …Bd7–e8–h5.
- Central tension: The pawn break …c5 is the French player’s main liberating device; White often counters with f4–f5 or c4.
Historical Significance
The name stems from a correspondence game (Paris vs. London, 1834) in which the Paris team employed the opening. Steinitz, Nimzowitsch, Botvinnik, Korchnoi, Karpov, and Caruana have all used the French as a mainstay of their repertoires.
Illustrative Game
Fischer – Petrosian, Candidates 1959 (Winawer)
[[Pgn| e4|e6|d4|d5|Nc3|Bb4|e5|c5|a3|Bxc3+|bxc3|Ne7|Qg4|Qc7|Qxg7|Rg8|Qxh7|cxd4|Ne2|Nc6 ]]Interesting Facts
- The dreaded “Poisoned Pawn” line of the Winawer (7.Qg4) leads to razor-sharp positions where Black may grab the g-pawn at the cost of lagging development.
- Former World Champion Tigran Petrosian quipped that the opening “taught him patience,” as Black often sits in a cramped but solid shell before counter-attacking.
King’s Indian Attack (KIA)
Definition
The King’s Indian Attack is a flexible opening system for White characterized by the development setup: Nf3, g3, Bg2, 0-0, d3, Nbd2, and e4. Because it can be reached from many initial move-orders (1. Nf3, 1. g3, or even vs. the French with 1. e4 e6 2. d3), the KIA is more a structure and plan than a single opening.
Typical Move-Order
One of the most common sequences is:
- 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. 0-0 Be7 5. d3 0-0 6. Nbd2 c5 7. e4
Against the French Defense, the system is sometimes labeled “French Defense: King’s Indian Attack”: 1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2, leading back to the same structure.
Strategic Ideas
- King-side pawn storm: White often advances f2–f4–f5 and sometimes g3-g4 to pry open lines versus Black’s king.
- Harmonious piece play: All of White’s pieces point toward the black king after the typical maneuver Nf3–h4–f5 or Nf3–g5, plus the bishop pair on c1 and g2.
- Flexibility: Because the center is usually closed or semi-closed, White can defer direct central confrontation until the timing is ideal.
Historical Significance
The KIA gained popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, thanks in large part to Bobby Fischer, who used it to devastating effect—even scoring 8½/9 with the system in the 1967 U.S. Championship.
Illustrative Game
Fischer – Myagmarsuren, Sousse Interzonal 1967
[[Pgn| e4|c5|Nf3|e6|g3|d5|d3|Nf6|Nbd2|Be7|Bg2|Nc6|0-0|0-0|Re1|b6|e5|Nd7|Nf1|Bb7|h4|b5|Bf4 ]]Interesting Facts
- Because it can be reached from so many different starting moves, the KIA is adored by club players who want to avoid opening theory yet still reach a rich, attacking middlegame.
- A mirrored version exists for Black called the King’s Indian Defense; the KIA can be thought of as “playing the KID with an extra tempo.”
- The plan h2-h4–h5, once considered “romantic,” has re-emerged in engine era as entirely sound and often dangerous.