King's Indian Defense – Definition
King's Indian Defense
Definition
The King's Indian Defense (KID) is a hyper-modern chess opening that arises after the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6. Black allows White to occupy the center with pawns and pieces, intending to counter-attack later with pawn breaks such as …e5 or …c5 and a vigorous kingside initiative. The KID is classified under ECO codes E60–E99.
Typical Move Order
- 1. d4 Nf6
- 2. c4 g6
- 3. Nc3 Bg7
- 4. e4 d6
- 5. Nf3 O-O
- 6. Be2 e5 (Classical system) or 6…c5 / 6…Na6 for other branches
Many transpositions are possible; for example 3. Nf3 g6 4. c4 Bg7 5. Nc3 d6 is another common path into the same structures.
Strategic Themes
- Central Tension: White enjoys a broad pawn center (pawns on d4 & e4). Black restrains it, preparing the thematic break …e5 (or sometimes …c5) to undermine the base of the center.
- Kingside Attack: After …e5, …Nc6, …f5, and often …g5–g4, Black storms the kingside, sacrificing space and sometimes material for attacking chances.
- Queenside Play for White: White often seeks expansion with c4–c5, b4, and a4, aiming to create passed pawns or weaknesses on the queenside before Black’s attack breaks through.
- Piece Imbalances: The “bad” light-squared bishop on c1 may become a monster on h6 or g5, while Black’s dark-squared bishop on g7 often dictates the entire game.
- Pawn Structure: Locked center (pawns on d4/e4 vs. d6/e5) leads to flank attacks; open center after dxe5 dxe5 allows tactical possibilities.
Historical Context
Though ideas of fianchettoing the king’s bishop existed in the 19th century, the KID became fashionable in the 1920s when players like Savielly Tartakower and Efim Bogoljubow began employing hyper-modern openings. David Bronstein and Isaac Boleslavsky refined its theory after World War II, demonstrating that Black’s apparent passivity could mutate into a ferocious attack. Bobby Fischer adopted the defense in the 1960s (“to win with Black,” he said), while Garry Kasparov turned it into a mainstay of his repertoire during the 1980s and 1990s.
Common Variations
- Classical (Main Line): 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7
- Sämisch System: 5. f3, reinforcing e4 and planning Be3, Qd2, g4
- Fianchetto Variation: 3. g3, a positional line where White also fianchettoes
- Four Pawns Attack: 5. f4, White grabs even more space with f4 and e5
- Averbakh System: 5. Be2 O-O 6. Bg5, pinning Black’s knight
- Petrosian System: 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. d5, locking the center
Model Game Snapshot
Kasparov used the KID to defeat Viswanathan Anand in a brilliant attacking display (World Championship, New York 1995, Game 10):
[[Pgn|1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. b4 a5 10. Ba3 axb4 11. Bxb4 b6 12. a4 Nd7 13. a5 bxa5 14. Bxa5 Nc5 15. Nb5 Nxe4 16. Bxc7 Qd7 17. Nd2 Nxd2 18. Qxd2 Nf5 19. Rxa8 Bb7 20. Rxf8+ Bxf8 21. Bb6 exd4 22. Nxd4 Bh6 23. Qa5 Nh4 24. Nc6 Bxc6 25. dxc6 Qe8 26. c7 etc.|fen|8/5n1k/4pnpb/qB1p2N1/PpP1P1PP/6B1/3Q1P2/R3K2R b KQ - 0 16]]The position after 15…Nxe4 embodies the KID spirit: Black sacrifices material for dark-square domination and a direct attack on the white king.
Typical Tactical & Positional Motifs
- Exchange Sacrifice: …Rxf3 or …Rxd5 to rip open lines.
- Pawn Storm: …f5–f4, …g5–g4 to pry open g- and h-files.
- Breakthrough …c6 or …b5: in lines where Black plays …c5, minority attacks enter.
- “Mar del Plata” Knight Manoeuvre: …Nf6–h5–f4 or …Ne8–f6–g4 aiming at e3/g2.
- White’s Queenside Minority Push: a4, c5, b4–b5 cramping Black.
Modern Usage and Evaluation
Engine evaluations often start at a slight plus for White (+0.25 to +0.40), reflecting spatial advantage, yet the practical score at master level is near 50 %. Players like Teimour Radjabov, Ding Liren, and Hikaru Nakamura keep the defense alive in elite tournaments, while others (e.g., Magnus Carlsen) select it as an occasional surprise weapon. In rapid and blitz, the KID’s dynamic imbalance is even more prized.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Bronstein once quipped, “When you play the King’s Indian, you are playing not only against your opponent but against chess itself.”
- In the famous 1997 match Kasparov vs. Deep Blue, Kasparov considered using the KID but feared the computer’s tactical precision in complex positions.
- The nickname “Mar del Plata” (Classical 9…Ne8 10. Nd2 f5) comes from a fierce 1953 tournament in the Argentine seaside city where Gligorić and Najdorf introduced the line.
- Fischer’s lifetime score with the KID as Black in serious play: +11 −3 =4 — an impressive endorsement.