King's Indian: 4.e4 O-O 5.Nf3
King's Indian: 4.e4 O-O 5.Nf3
Definition
“King’s Indian: 4.e4 O-O 5.Nf3” refers to a particular move-order in the King’s Indian Defence (KID), one of Black’s most dynamic openings against 1.d4. The critical position arises after the following moves:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 O-O 5.Nf3
White occupies the centre with pawns on d4 and e4, while Black has castled early and fianchettoed the king’s-side bishop. The move order delays Black’s customary ...d6, allowing Black to sidestep certain anti-KID systems (e.g., 5.f3, the Four Pawns Attack) and giving both sides fresh transpositional possibilities.
How the Line Is Used
- Flexible Move Order. By playing 4...O-O first, Black keeps White guessing about whether ...d6 or even ...d5 will follow, while White answers with the natural developing move 5.Nf3 to maintain classical KID contours.
- Gateway to Several Variations. After 5...d6, White can reach the Classical KID (6.Be2 or 6.h3), the Sämisch (if White had earlier played f3), or the Makogonov (with 6.h3).
- Practical Surprise Weapon. Strong Black players sometimes adopt this order to avoid heavily analysed lines of the Four Pawns and Sämisch, obliging White to think for himself from an early stage.
Strategic Themes
- Central Tension. White’s big pawn centre (d4–e4–c4) challenges Black to counter-attack later with ...e5 or ...c5. Black’s early castling keeps the king safe before striking back.
- Knight Placement. White’s knight on f3 eyes the e5-square and supports a potential d4–d5 thrust; Black’s typical reply ...d6 prepares the thematic ...e5 break.
- Transposition Play. After 5.Nf3, if Black plays 5...d6, both players have reached the Classical KID one tempo later. Black can also try 5...d5 or 5...c6, morphing into a Grünfeld-type or a Benoni-hybrid.
Historical Significance
The King’s Indian Defence became a mainstay in the mid-20th century thanks to players like Bronstein, Geller, and Fischer. The specific 4...O-O move order gained popularity in the 1980s after it was championed by Garry Kasparov, who used it to out-prepare opponents aiming for the ultra-sharp Four Pawns Attack. Modern grandmasters such as Teimour Radjabov and Hikaru Nakamura still employ the line as a practical weapon in rapid and blitz.
Typical Plans for Both Sides After 5...d6 6.Be2
- Black: ...e5, ...Nc6, ...exd4, ...Re8 with a king-side pawn storm (…f5) or queenside counterplay (…b5 in the Mar del Plata).
- White: Be2, 0-0, Re1, d4–d5 space gain, or the Bayonet 9.b4 later on to clamp down on …c5.
Illustrative Mini-Game
Below is a short, instructional example that shows the main ideas:
Notice how Black’s early ...O-O kept the king secure while setting up the classic ...e5 break. White responded with space-gaining d4–d5, leading to the familiar central blockade structure.
Famous Encounters
- Kramnik – Kasparov, Linares 1994: Kasparov’s 4...O-O sidestepped Kramnik’s Four Pawns preparation and eventually led to a spectacular exchange-sacrifice on f3.
- Gelfand – Nakamura, London Chess Classic 2013: A rapid-play slug-fest where 4...O-O introduced Grünfeld-like ideas after 5...d5.
Interesting Facts and Anecdotes
- “Kasparov’s Thumbprint.” When asked why he began playing 4...O-O regularly, Kasparov quipped that “in modern chess, a single tempo can be worth a fortune.”
- Grandmaster Ulf Andersson, normally a positional player, once scored a brilliant sacrificial win on the black side of this line, proving that the King’s Indian can seduce even the most solid strategists.
- In engine practice, modern neural-network engines sometimes prefer 5...d5 immediately, effectively transposing to a Grünfeld but with the extra option of ...h6 to clamp down on a Bg5 pin later.
Summary
The sequence 4.e4 O-O 5.Nf3 is a flexible, strategically rich branch of the King’s Indian Defence. It combines classical centre control with hyper-modern counter-attacking themes and remains a favourite among aggressive players seeking a complex fight from move four.