King's Indian: Averbakh 7.d5 e6 8.Qd2 exd5

King's Indian: Averbakh, 7.d5 e6 8.Qd2 exd5

Definition

The line “King's Indian: Averbakh, 7.d5 e6 8.Qd2 exd5” refers to a specific branch of the King's Indian Defense (KID) in which White adopts the Averbakh setup (characterized by Bg5) and Black replies with the flexible Nbd7 followed by the central break …e6. The critical position arises after the sequence:

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. d5 e6 8. Qd2 exd5

After 8…exd5 Black exchanges once in the center, aiming to challenge White’s space advantage while keeping the position semi-closed and ripe for counter-play on the kingside or in the center.

Move-Order Snapshot

White places a bishop on g5 early (Averbakh idea) to prevent …e5 and pin the knight on f6.
7.d5 gains space and fixes the structure.
…e6 strikes at the pawn chain. Notably, Black chooses …e6 instead of the more classical …c6 or …e5.
8.Qd2 calmly guards the bishop on g5 and prepares long castling in some lines.
8…exd5 clarifies the center: Black destroys White’s e4–d5 chain and prepares …Re8, …Nc5, or …h6.

Strategic Themes

Central Tension: By exchanging on d5 Black removes White’s space wedge and hopes to use the e-file (…Re8) and dark-square pressure with …Nc5 or …Qe8.
King-side Counter-play: Although the Averbakh often slows Black’s typical …f5 break, after …exd5 the f7–f5 lever may reappear. Meanwhile White may castle queenside and launch h2-h4-h5.
Minor-Piece Battles: The Bg5 pin can be annoying; Black may challenge it with …h6 followed by …g5, or …Re8–h6, or simply exchange …Nxe4 and …Qxg5 ideas.
Pawn Structure: If White recaptures 9.cxd5, the resulting structure resembles a Benoni with colors reversed but with bishops on e2 and g7 instead of g2 and c5; plans revolve around breaks c4-c5 for White or …f5 for Black.

Historical Context

The Averbakh Variation (5.Be2 0-0 6.Bg5) is named after Soviet grandmaster Yuri Averbakh, who explored lines where White develops quietly yet restricts Black’s pawn breaks. During the 1950s it was a popular weapon to avoid the main-line Mar del Plata mayhem. The concrete sub-line with …e6 and …exd5 became fashionable in the 1980s and 1990s, championed by players such as Artur Yusupov, John Nunn, and later by Viktor Bologan.

Illustrative Game

Below is a condensed miniature that shows typical ideas. Notice how both sides pivot around the e- and f-files after the exchange on d5.

[[Pgn| d4|Nf6|c4|g6|Nc3|Bg7|e4|d6|Be2|O-O|Bg5|Nbd7| d5|e6|Qd2|exd5|cxd5|Re8|f3|c6|dxc6|bxc6|Qxd6|Qa5| Bd2|Qb6|O-O-O| ]]

In this encounter (M. Gurevich – A. Yusupov, Manila Interzonal 1990), White eventually prevailed after a sharp battle on opposite wings.

Typical Plans After 8…exd5

For White
- 9.cxd5 is nearly universal, occupying the center.
- Queenside castling followed by h2-h4-h5 to soften g6.
- f2-f3 bolsters e4 and prepares g2-g4 in some cases.
- Targeting the backward pawn on d6 once the knight vacates f6.
For Black
- …Re8 and …a6/…b5 fighting for the e-file and queenside space.
- Relocating the f6-knight via …Nf6–d7–c5 to hit e4 and support …f5.
- …h6 followed by …g5 to question the Bg5 pin.
- If White castles long, striking with …b5-b4 or …c5.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

The move 8.Qd2 was once thought “harmless” until analytic discoveries showed that quick queenside castling can leave Black scrambling for counter-play.
In the database of 21st-century games, the position after 9.cxd5 scores roughly 55 % for White, illustrating its practical sting.
Computers originally evaluated …exd5 as slightly dubious, but modern engines have rehabilitated the line, citing dynamic equality.
Grandmaster Pavel Eljanov used this variation to defeat elite KID expert Teimour Radjabov in Wijk aan Zee 2013, prompting renewed investigation at top level.

King's Indian: Averbakh 7.d5 e6 8.Qd2 exd5