King's Indian Defense: Smyslov Variation

Definition

The Smyslov Variation of the King’s Indian Defense arises after the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. Bg5. White immediately pins the black knight on f6, aiming to hamper Black’s typical …e7-e5 or …c7-c5 thrusts and to provoke weaknesses on the dark squares. The line is named after the seventh World Champion, Vasily Smyslov, who explored the idea of an early Bg5 in the 1950s.

Move Order and Key Position

The critical diagram position is reached after:

Features:

The bishop on g5 pins the knight, discouraging …e7-e5.
White often follows with Qd2, Be2, and long castling, steering play into a race-attack scenario.
Black must decide between breaking the pin with …h6 and …g5, playing …c6 and …Qa5, or adopting a flexible setup with …Nbd7.

Strategic Ideas

For White
- Exploit the pin to gain queenside space with d5 and c5.
- Delayed central clash: keep tension, sometimes exchange on f6 to damage Black’s pawn structure.
- Potential opposite-side castling and pawn storms with h4-h5.
For Black
- Undermine the pin via …h6 and …g5, or more subtly …c6 & …Qa5.
- Reactivate the knight with …Nbd7 and prepare the classical …e5 break once the pin is neutralised.
- Maintain a solid king position; if White castles long, launch the traditional KID kingside pawn storm with …f5.

Historical Background

First championed by Vasily Smyslov in the mid-20th century, the variation was later taken up by players such as Bent Larsen, Boris Spassky, and more recently, grandmasters Pavel Eljanov and Anish Giri. Smyslov’s idea challenged the then-fashionable Mar del Plata setups by preventing …e5, forcing Black to rethink standard plans.

Typical Plans and Themes

Breaking the pin: 5…h6 6.Bh4 g5 followed by …Nh5 strikes at the bishop but weakens Black’s kingside dark squares.
Queenside play: After 5…O-O 6.e3, White may push c4-c5 or d4-d5 to clamp down on space.
Exchange strategy: White can trade on f6 and aim for a pleasant minor-piece ending where the e-pawn is backward.
Pawn storms: With opposite-side castling, both sides hurl pawns—White on the h-file, Black on the f-file.

Illustrative Games

Smyslov vs. Najdorf, Zürich Candidates 1953 – The debut of 5.Bg5; Smyslov’s queenside space strangled Black.
Larsen vs. Fischer, Santa Monica 1966 – Fischer uncorked 5…c5!? showing dynamic alternatives.
Giri vs. Radjabov, Wijk aan Zee 2012 – Modern handling with 6.Qd2 and long castling; sharp double attack.

Interesting Facts

Although named after Smyslov, the move 5.Bg5 had appeared as early as 1930 in lesser-known Soviet tournaments.
Bobby Fischer avoided the Smyslov Variation in his My 60 Memorable Games annotations, calling it “annoying.”
The line sometimes transposes to the Pseudo-Samisch if White later plays f3 and e4.

Example Miniature

In this off-beat skirmish Black’s aggressive …h6-g5 throttled the bishop but created fatal weaknesses; after queenside castling Black’s king walked into a storm.

King's Indian Defense: Smyslov Variation