King's Indian: Averbakh 7.d5 e6 8.Qd2
King's Indian: Averbakh, 7.d5 e6 8.Qd2
Definition
The sequence 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 O-O 6.Bg5 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Qd2 defines a branch of the Averbakh Variation of the King’s Indian Defence (KID). By advancing the d-pawn to d5 and placing the queen on d2, White closes the centre, maintains the pin on the f6-knight, and prepares queenside castling or a later f2-f4. Black, in turn, accepts a restrained centre but counts on breaks with …exd5, …b5, or …h6 followed by …exd5 to generate counterplay.
Typical Move Order
One of the most common point-by-point transpositions is:
- 1. d4 Nf6
- 2. c4 g6
- 3. Nc3 Bg7
- 4. e4 d6
- 5. Be2 O-O
- 6. Bg5 c5
- 7. d5 e6
- 8. Qd2
After 8.Qd2 the immediate alternatives for Black are:
- 8…exd5 9.exd5 Re8 10.Nf3 with a symmetrical pawn structure but enduring kingside pressure.
- 8…h6 9.Bh4 exd5 10.exd5 Re8 11.Nf3, keeping the bishop pair for White.
- 8…Re8 preparing …exd5 under more favourable circumstances.
Strategic Themes
- White’s Ideas
- Keep the dark-squared bishop active on g5, pinning Nf6 and hampering …e6–e5.
- Use the space-gaining d5-pawn to clamp down on …c5–c4 and …e6–e5 breaks.
- Prepare queenside castling (0-0-0) to reinforce the d5-pawn and launch a kingside pawn storm with f2-f4-f5.
- Exploit the c-file: Rc1 followed by a potential c4-c5 lever.
- Black’s Ideas
- Timely pawn breaks: …exd5 (undermining d5) or …b5 (queenside expansion) once the c-file clears.
- Utilise the f8-rook on the e-file (…Re8) to support …exd5 and then …Nbd7.
- Create tension with …h6, forcing the g5-bishop to decide between Bh4 or gxf6.
- If the centre opens, exploit the long-diagonal pressure of the g7-bishop.
Historical Significance
The line is named after Soviet grandmaster and end-game authority Yuri Averbakh, who employed Bg5 systems in the early 1950s to challenge the then-fashionable KID. The move 8.Qd2 became fashionable in the 1970s as a flexible alternative to the older 8.Nf3 and is still a viable surprise weapon today. Modern grandmasters such as Pavel Eljanov, Evgeny Bareev, and Magnus Carlsen have included it in their repertoires.
Illustrative Position
After 8.Qd2 the position (White to move) typically looks like this:
Material is level, the centre is closed, and the plans revolve around pawn breaks rather than immediate tactics.
Example Games
-
Averbakh – Kotov, Zurich Candidates 1953
The pioneer himself demonstrated the power of the pin; after 8.Qd2 exd5 9.exd5 Re8 10.Nf3 h6 11.Bh4 a6 12.a4! he seized the dark squares and won a model positional game. -
Carlsen – So, Tata Steel 2018
A modern heavyweight clash where Black met 8.Qd2 with 8…Re8. The World Champion castled queenside, expanded with h4–h5, and used a rook lift to g3 to build a kingside attack, eventually converting a long end-game.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Because the bishop on g5 is seldom exchanged early, engines often give White a small but persistent plus, yet practical results are balanced—perfect for players who like playable equality.
- Grandmaster Victor Bologan recommends 8.Qd2 as “the most poisonous” way to meet the KID in his DVD repertoire, citing the latent kingside attack.
- In correspondence chess, the line with 8…h6 9.Bh4 g5 has been tested extensively, leading to convoluted middlegames rich in pawn breaks and piece sacrifices.
- Yuri Averbakh, after whom the variation is named, lived to be over 100 years old (1922-2022), making him the longest-lived grandmaster in history.