King's Indian: 7.O-O exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.f3 c6 10.Kh1

King's Indian: 7.O-O exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.f3 c6 10.Kh1

Definition

This sequence is a branch of the Classical System of the King’s Indian Defense (KID). After the standard moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg6 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5, White castles (7.O-O) and Black captures in the centre (7…exd4). White recaptures with the knight, Black places a rook on the e-file (8…Re8), and White shores up the e4-pawn with 9.f3. Black replies 9…c6, reinforcing the d5-square, and White tucks the king on h1 with 10.Kh1, completing the line under discussion.

Move-order in a nutshell

The resulting tabiya (typical starting position) features:

• White pawns: d4, c4, e4, f3 – a broad, flexible centre.
• Black pawns: d6, e5, c6 – a compact chain aiming for …d5 or …c5 breaks.
• Minor pieces: White’s dark-squared bishop remains on e2; the g7-bishop eyes the long diagonal; the f6-knight is ready for …d7-c5-e5 maneuvers.

Strategic Ideas

• White
  • Supports the e4-pawn with f3, freeing the f-pawn for a future advance (f2–f4–f5) and curbing Black’s kingside counterplay.
  • Often follows with Be3, Qd2 and possibly a queenside expansion with b4.
  • The king move 10.Kh1 removes the king from the g1–a7 diagonal and prepares a timely g2–g4 if circumstances allow.
• Black
  • Uses 9…c6 to reinforce d5, making the thematic …d6–d5 break possible.
  • Typical piece placement: Nbd7, a6, Qc7 or Qb6, and sometimes …d5 or …c5 to undermine White’s centre.
  • If White over-expands, Black can strike with …d5 followed by exchanges that liberate the g7-bishop.

Historical and Theoretical Significance

The line is closely associated with grandmasters Svetozar Gligorić and Mark Taimanov, who popularised 9.f3 as a calmer alternative to the razor-sharp Mar del Plata (7…Nc6 8.d5 Ne7) variations. During the 1950s–1980s it served as a main weapon for players wanting to sidestep KID complications without conceding the initiative.

When computers became stronger in the late 1990s the variation experienced a renaissance, because the resulting pawn structures are strategically rich yet less forcing—an attractive mix for both human and engine preparation.

Illustrative Games

• Gligorić – Fischer, Bled 1961
  Fischer equalised with …c5 and …Nc6, but Gligorić’s central space eventually told, and he converted a queen-side majority in the endgame.
• Karpov – Kasparov, World Championship 1985, Game 11
  Karpov employed the 9.f3 system; Kasparov responded dynamically with …a6, …b5, and a timely …d5 break to reach full equality.
• Aronian – Nakamura, London 2014
  A modern treatment where White delayed Be3, instead playing g4 and h4 to seize space on the kingside, showcasing the flexibility of 9.f3.

Practical Tips for Players

1. After 10.Kh1 keep an eye on Black’s …d5 break; meet it with cxd5 if your knight can jump to b5 or e4.
2. Do not rush f3–f4 unless your queen’s bishop is safely developed; otherwise the e4 pawn may collapse to tactics on e4 and d4.
3. Black players should be ready for both structural plans: (a) …d5 in one go, or (b) …Na6, …Nc5, and …a5 when White’s centre is firmly blocked.

Curiosities & Anecdotes

• The move 10.Kh1 is sometimes nicknamed “the Gligorić shuffle” because Gligorić habitually made the king move almost on autopilot, once joking that it was “like tightening your seat-belt before take-off.”
• In a simultaneous exhibition in 1993, Garry Kasparov met 9.f3 with the cheeky novelty 9…Nh5!? and won in 19 moves—proof that even “solid” variations can hide tactical landmines.
• Engines rate the entire line at roughly +0.20 for White, reflecting a small but stable space advantage—exactly why many grandmasters choose it when they want “a little pressure but no risk.”