King's Indian: Fianchetto without Nc3, 6...Nc6

King’s Indian: Fianchetto without Nc3, 6…Nc6

Definition

The line arises from the King’s Indian Defence (KID) when White adopts the Fianchetto Variation but deliberately postpones the knight move to Nc3. After the normal sequence 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O, Black chooses the dynamic counter-developing move 6…Nc6. The hallmark of the sub-variation is therefore the combination of ❶ a White kingside fianchetto with no knight yet on c3, and ❷ Black’s early …Nc6 before …e5 or …c5.

Typical Move Order

The most common branch reaches the position after seven moves:

• 1. d4 Nf6
• 2. c4 g6
• 3. Nf3 Bg7
• 4. g3 O-O
• 5. Bg2 d6
• 6. O-O Nc6  — the key move
• 7. Nc3 a6 / 7…Bg4 / 7…e5, etc.

Alternate transpositions can occur via 4…d6 5. O-O O-O 6. Nc3, but as soon as Black plays …Nc6 while White has still not committed the c-knight, the game belongs to this family.

Strategic Ideas for Both Sides

• White’s Flexibility: By omitting Nc3 for now, White keeps the option of d4–d5 in one go, or rerouting the knight to d2 or a4. The queen’s knight can avoid the customary Black break …e5 followed by …exd4, reducing Black’s central counter-play.
• Black’s Early …Nc6: Targets the d4-pawn immediately and supports classical breaks:
  1. …e5 — the “Spanish” structure, hitting d4 twice.
  2. …c5 — Benoni-style activity if White locks the center with d5.
  3. …a6 / …Rb8 / …b5 — queenside expansion made easier because the knight vacates b8 early.
• Pawn Structure Tension: If White answers …e5 with d5, Black often re-routes the knight via e7 to f5 or g6 and starts a thematic kingside pawn storm (…f5, …g5). If White captures on e5, the open d-file can favor Black’s minor pieces.
• Piece Placement: White’s dark-squared bishop on g2 stresses the long diagonal; Black’s king bishop is already fianchettoed, so the fight often revolves around who can leverage the diagonal more effectively.

Historical and Practical Significance

The Fianchetto Variation has long been used as a quiet, positional scheme against the explosive King’s Indian. The branch with 6…Nc6 gained traction in the 1960s when players such as Lajos Portisch and Yefim Geller explored ways to sharpen the Fianchetto lines. It re-emerged in the modern computer era because engines show that Black’s queenside expansion plans are entirely viable.

Notably, 6…Nc6 found a champion in the young Garry Kasparov during the early 1980s. His attacking win against Predrag Nikolić (Bugojno 1982) popularized the line among aspiring KID specialists. In contemporary practice, it is a regular guest in the repertoires of maximally dynamic grandmasters like Teimour Radjabov and Hikaru Nakamura.

Illustrative Example

Game fragment: Radjabov – Nakamura, Dortmund 2014. After 15 moves Black achieved …b5 and …c4, seizing queenside space, while White steered for an e2–e4 break. Both kings remained safe, yet the minor-piece battle on the dark squares eventually tipped in Black’s favor.

Typical Continuations After 6…Nc6

• 7. Nc3 a6 8. d5 Na5 — Black heads for a Hedgehog-like setup, the knight eventually landing on c4 after …c5.
• 7. Nc3 e5 8. d5 Ne7 — classic KID pawn wedge with the knight rerouting to h5 → f4 or g6.
• 7. d5 Na5 (keeping the knight at home) — White avoids Nc3 entirely, banking on a clamp on the queenside dark squares with b3 and Bb2.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• Because the move 6…Nc6 slightly violates the KID mantra of “…e5 first, …Nc6 later,” early theoreticians called it a “hipster” line.
• The variation features in the training database of alphazero, which famously preferred the flexible 7. d5 over 7. Nc3.
• In on-line blitz, Magnus Carlsen has tried 7. d5 Na5 8. Qa4!?, an engine-approved sideline that unnerves less-prepared KID devotees.
• Statistically, the Eco code most often attached to this branch is E62, though databases sometimes lump it with E60 because the position arises before Black’s pawn structure is clarified.

When to Choose This Line

Players on the Black side who relish imbalanced middlegames with flank pawn storms will feel at home. From White’s perspective, it is chosen by those who appreciate a sound setup and dislike the razor-sharp Mar del Plata (…e5, …f5) main lines.