King's Indian Queenswap: 6.Be2 e5, 9.Bg5 Re8
King's Indian: 6.Be2 e5 Queenswap
Definition
The phrase denotes a branch of the King’s Indian Defence (KID) in which White plays 6.Be2 and Black replies 6…e5, after which the queens are exchanged at the earliest legal opportunity:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Qxd8 Rxd8. Because the major pieces disappear so quickly, the variation is widely nick-named the “Queen-less King’s Indian” or simply the “Queenswap line.”
Typical Usage
- As White: Chosen by players who enjoy KID pawn structures but would rather avoid the razor-sharp attacks that normally arise when the queens stay on the board. It is a popular equalising weapon in classical events where a quiet half-point with minimal risk is welcome.
- As Black: Adopted by specialists who believe the resulting middlegame is fully playable, arguing that the bishop pair and flexible pawn breaks (…c6, …Na6–c5, …f5) compensate for the absence of queenside castling attacks.
Strategic Significance
- Piece Play. The bishop on g7 remains the pride of Black’s position, exerting long-range pressure on the light squares. Without queens on the board that pressure is more positional than tactical.
- Outposts and Blockades. The key squares are d4, d5 and c5. Knights often orbit toward those outposts (Nd2-c4, …Na6-c5).
- Flank Activity vs. Centre. White usually expands with b4, a4 and c5, hoping to fix the queenside majority. Black, in turn, seeks pawn breaks …c6 or …f5 to liberate his bishops.
- Endgame Orientation. Because queens are already off, exchanges carry less danger for the side with the spatial disadvantage, so Black can aim confidently for simplified endings.
Historical Notes
Anatoly Karpov employed the line regularly in the 1980s, both as White (seeking a small, nagging edge) and as Black (trusting his superb endgame technique). In modern play, Vladimir Kramnik, Peter Svidler and the young Magnus Carlsen have all taken the variation for a spin, proving that it can serve either side of the board.
Illustrative Mini-Game
The following condensed PGN shows the characteristic move order up to the
queen exchange:
Interesting Facts
- Because the queens are gone, engines evaluate the starting position of the Queenswap line almost dead equal (±0.10), yet human results show White scoring slightly better than average, illustrating practical comfort vs. mathematical truth.
- Some commentators jokingly call the structure a “Gruenfeld without a queen,” since Black’s light-squared bishop plays the same role but the typical Grünfeld pawn on d5 is missing.
9.Bg5 Re8 (in the Queen-Exchange King’s Indian)
Definition
After the mandatory queen trade (8…Rxd8) White often continues 9.Bg5, placing the bishop on an active diagonal and indirectly pinning the f6-knight to the rook on d8. Black’s most common and theoretically respected counter is 9…Re8, unpinning the knight and reinforcing the e5 pawn. The tabiya stands:
Strategic Ideas
-
For White:
- Exchange dark-squared bishops via Bxf6, compromising Black’s pawn structure.
- Pressure e5 by Nd5 or Rd1, preparing c5 or b4–b5 breaks.
- Provoke …h6 and use the resulting weakenings (g6, h6) later in a minor-piece endgame.
-
For Black:
- Relieve the pin (…Re8) and reroute the f6-knight to d7, c5 or g4.
- Maintain the bishop pair, especially the light-squared bishop, by avoiding premature Bxf6 gxf6.
- Play for …Na6-c5 and eventually …f5 to seize central/king-side space.
Practical Examples
- Kramnik – Radjabov, Dortmund 2006. Kramnik exchanged on f6, locked the centre with c5 and demonstrated how an endgame edge can turn into a full point.
- Caruana – Svidler, Candidates 2016. Black kept the bishops, achieved …f5 and neutralised White’s queenside majority, proving the soundness of 9…Re8 at elite level.
Interesting Tidbits
- With queens gone, the “pin” created by 9.Bg5 is technically a skewer: the bishop attacks both the knight and the rook behind it. However, because releasing the knight would cost a full rook, players still refer to it colloquially as a pin.
- Some databases group 9.Bg5 Re8 under ECO code E90, while others list it in E91, illustrating how borderline lines blur the rigid ECO system.
Why It Matters
Understanding 9.Bg5 Re8 is essential for anyone building a King’s Indian repertoire, because without adequate preparation Black may end up in a lifeless squeeze, whereas precise play yields a healthy, resource-rich middlegame. Conversely, for White the move order provides a safe, practical pathway to probe a typical KID structure without gambling on a direct kingside clash.