King’s-Indian-Attack (KIA) - Chess Opening
King’s-Indian-Attack (KIA)
Definition
The King’s-Indian-Attack is a flexible, system-based opening for White that resembles the setup Black employs in the King’s Indian Defense. Instead of fighting for an immediate central pawn majority, White builds a compact, hyper-modern structure, planning to strike the center and the kingside later. A “pure” KIA usually arises after the moves 1. Nf3, 2. g3, 3. Bg2, 4. 0-0, 5. d3, 6. Nbd2, and 7. e4, regardless of what Black does.
Typical Move Order
One common sequence against the French Defense is:
- e4 e6
- d3 d5
- Nf3 Nf6
- Nbd2 Be7
- g3 0-0
- Bg2 c5
- 0-0 Nc6
- Re1 b5
- e5 …
By move 9 White has reached the familiar KIA tabiya while Black has committed to a French-type structure.
Key Strategic Themes
- Delayed central break: White often plays e4–e5 or c2-c4 at the right moment to seize space.
- Kingside pawn storm: The typical advance f2-f4-f5 generates strong pressure against Black’s king.
- Piece placement: Knights land on f3 and d2 (or e5/f4 later), the dark-squared bishop eyes h1-a8, and the light-squared bishop may reroute via f1-h3.
- Flexible against many defenses: The KIA can be played versus the French, Sicilian, Caro-Kann, and even the Pirc/Modern.
- Endgame safety: Because White’s structure is solid and symmetrical, inferior positions are hard for Black to exploit.
Historical Significance
The system was popularized by American grandmaster Bobby Fischer, who scored
a remarkable 8½/9 with it from 1960-1967. Earlier,
Aron Nimzowitsch toyed with similar setups
under the banner of the closed center.
In the 1980s and 1990s Garry Kasparov used the KIA sporadically as a
surprise weapon, notably defeating Dmitry Gurevich (Tilburg 1989) in just 26
moves.
Illustrative Game
Fischer – Myagmarsuren, Sousse Interzonal 1967
[[Pgn| 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3 d5 4.Nbd2 Nc6 5.g3 Nf6 6.Bg2 Be7 7.O-O O-O 8.Re1 b5 9.e5 Nd7 10.Nf1 a5 11.h4 b4 12.Bf4 a4 13.a3 bxa3 14.bxa3 Ba6 15.N1h2 Rb8 16.h5 h6 17.Qd2 Re8 18.Ng4 Bf8 19.Bxh6 gxh6 20.Nxh6+ Bxh6 21.Qxh6 f6 22.exf6 Qxf6 23.Qxf6 Nxf6 24.Ne5 Nxe5 25.Rxe5 Kf7 26.Bh3 Bc8 27.g4 Rg8 28.f3 Rb2 29.Re2 Nxh5 30.Kf2 Nf4 31.Rd2 Nxh3+ 32.Kg3 Rh8 33.Rh2 e5 34.Rxh3 Rxh3+ 35.Kxh3 c4 36.dxc4 dxc4 37.Re1 Kf6 38.Re3 Rxc2 39.Kh4 c3 40.f4 exf4 41.Rf3 Rh2+ 42.Rh3 Rxh3+ 43.Kxh3 c2 44.Kg2 c1=Q 45.Kf2 Qe3+ 46.Kf1 Ba6+ 47.Kg2 Qg3+ 48.Kh1 Bb7#|fen|]]Fischer’s queenside allows Black activity, but the ensuing kingside attack demonstrates the latent power of the KIA setup.
Typical Plans for Each Side
- White
- Push e4–e5 to cramp Black’s position.
- Follow with f2-f4-f5, g3-g4, and possibly h2-h4–h5.
- Sacrifice pieces on h7/h6 to tear open files against the king.
- If Black castles queenside, switch to a minority attack with a2-a4-a5.
- Black
- Counter in the center with …c5, …d5, or …e5 before White plays e5.
- Expand on the queenside with …b5 and …c4.
- Exchange dark-squared bishops to blunt Bg2’s influence.
Common Transpositions
Because White delays committing the c- and d-pawns, the KIA can stem from many openings:
- French Defense: 1. e4 e6 2. d3!
- Sicilian Defense: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d3
- Caro-Kann: 1. e4 c6 2. d3
- Pirc/Modern: 1. Nf3 followed by 2. g3 and 3. Bg2
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Bobby Fischer claimed the KIA was
untenable
for Black if played perfectly by White. - Its mirror-image, the King’s Indian Defense, is dreaded by many 1. d4 players, so the KIA lets White
turn the tables.
- The opening is a favorite at club level because learning plans is more important than memorizing long lines.
- In bullet and blitz chess, the automatic development often saves precious seconds on the clock.
Practical Tips
- Do not rush e4–e5 unless your pieces are ready; the pawn can become a target.
- Watch for …d5xd4 exchanges that open the c- and e-files for Black’s rooks.
- Against a queenside-castled opponent, keep the center closed and pawn-storm the king immediately.
- Study Fischer’s and Ivanchuk’s KIA games for attacking motifs.
Further Study
Classic books such as “The King’s Indian Attack” by John Hall & Jan Timman and modern video series by strong grandmasters provide in-depth coverage. Create a personal database of the tabiya positions and drill typical tactics.
Summary
The King’s-Indian-Attack is less an opening and more a philosophy: invite Black to occupy the center, then crush it later with coordinated piece play and a kingside pawn avalanche. Its rich strategic ideas, historical pedigree, and low theoretical maintenance make it an enduring favorite from club halls to world-class tournaments.