King's Indian Defense: Accelerated Averbakh Variation
King's Indian Defense: Accelerated Averbakh Variation
Definition
The Accelerated Averbakh is a sub-line of the King's Indian Defense (KID) that arises after the moves:
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Bg5
White develops the dark-squared bishop to g5 one move earlier than in the classical Averbakh (where it usually appears on move six after 5.Be2 O-O). This “acceleration” aims to pin the knight on f6 immediately, discourage the thematic …e7-e5 break, and keep Black guessing about White’s kingside development (Be2, Nf3, or even h2-h4-h5-g4).
Move Order & Typical Position
The most common continuations are:
- 5…h6 6.Bh4 O-O – Black kicks the bishop first, then castles.
- 5…c5 – An immediate challenge in the center, often leading to Benoni-style structures after d4-d5.
- 5…Nbd7 6.Nf3 e5 – Black bolsters the knight before striking in the center.
After 5…h6 6.Bh4 O-O a typical tabiya could look like this:
The board shows a KID structure where:
- White’s bishop on h4 keeps the f6-knight pinned, controlling e7 and d8.
- White may continue with Nf3, Qd2, Nge2, f2-f3, or even a quick h2-h3 & g2-g4 grab of space.
- Black plans …e7-e5 or …c7-c5 sooner or later, followed by standard kingside play with …f7-f5.
Strategic Ideas
- For White
- Maintain the pin and delay kingside commitment, forcing Black to show their hand first.
- Expand with h2-h4-h5 or f2-f3 followed by g2-g4, clamping down on …f7-f5.
- Switch to a Maroczy-style central bind if Black adopts a Benoni set-up.
- For Black
- Break the pin—either by …h6 and …g5, or by tactical means (e.g. …c5 followed by …Qb6).
- Achieve …e7-e5 under favorable circumstances; after d4xe5, recapturing with the knight opens lines toward White’s center.
- If …c7-c5 is chosen, be ready for Benoni themes: piece activity, pressure on e4, and play along the a1–h8 diagonal.
Historical Background
Soviet grandmaster Yuri Averbakh popularized the original 6.Bg5 system in the 1950s. The “accelerated” version (playing Bg5 before Be2 or Nf3) surfaced in the 1960s, championed by players such as Efim Geller and Lev Polugaevsky, who sought to increase move-order flexibility and catch KID experts off-guard.
Model Games
- Geller – Smyslov, Moscow 1965 – A textbook illustration of 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 c5, where Geller kept the center closed, later stormed with h4-h5, and won a kingside attack.
- Anand – Adams, Wijk aan Zee 1996 – Anand employed an early h2-h4 to paralyze Black’s …f7-f5 plan, steering the game into a favorable middlegame with a small space edge.
- So – Caruana, London 2016 – Demonstrates Black’s resourceful …c5 break; the game fizzled into a dynamic but balanced Benoni-type structure.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Because White commits the bishop so early, the Accelerated Averbakh can also transpose into the Trompowsky (1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5) if Black responds inaccurately, giving White unexpected flexibility.
- Top engine evaluations consider the line “healthy but non-critical” for Black; yet human grandmasters still value the surprise factor—especially in rapid and blitz, where the move order can be tricky to navigate.
- Grandmaster Ilya Smirin, a noted KID expert, once quipped that he feels “more nervous facing 5.Bg5 than the entire Ba7 line,” because “it looks harmless, but one misstep and you’re suffocating.”
When to Use It
Choose the Accelerated Averbakh if you:
- Enjoy flexible, strategic positions with the option of direct attacks.
- Want to sidestep the heavily analyzed 6.Be2 and 6.Nf3 KID main lines.
- Prefer keeping both queens on the board and playing for a long, maneuvering middlegame.