King's Indian: Sämisch, 5...O-O 6.Be3 c5 7.d5

Definition

The sequence of moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 O-O 6.Be3 c5 7.d5 defines a sharp branch of the King’s Indian Defence (KID), specifically a sub-variation of the Sämisch Variation. White builds an imposing pawn centre with f2–f3 and e4–d5, while Black strikes back in the centre and on the flanks, beginning with the thematic …c7-c5 break immediately after castling.

Move-order at a glance

5.f3 – the hallmark Sämisch move, reinforcing e4 and preparing Be3/Qd2.
5…O-O – Black castles before committing the central pawns.
6.Be3 – develops the bishop, bolsters d4, and eyes the h6–c1 diagonal.
6…c5 – Black challenges White’s centre right away.
7.d5 – White closes the position, grabbing space and creating a long pawn chain.

Strategic themes

Space vs. flexibility: White’s pawns on d5 and f3 gain space but leave dark-square weaknesses behind the chain (e3, g3).
Typical pawn breaks
1. For White: b2-b4–b5 on the queenside; g2-g4 followed by h2-h4 for a kingside pawn storm.
2. For Black: …e7-e6 (or …e7-e5 in other Sämisch lines) to undermine d5; …b7-b5 to open the queenside; and later …f7-f5 to attack the king.
Piece placement:
- White usually continues Nge2, Qd2, g4, 0-0-0 or 0-0 depending on style.
- Black’s light-squared bishop may go to d7 or e6; the queen often lands on a5 or e7; rooks head to b8 and e8.
Colour-complex battle: White dominates the light squares, Black strives for counterplay on the dark squares, a classic KID motif.

Historical notes

The variation is named after German master Friedrich Sämisch, who pioneered 5.f3 against several Indian defences in the late 1920s. The immediate 6…c5 set-up grew popular in the 1950s thanks to the games of Soviet specialists such as David Bronstein and Efim Geller, and later became a mainstay of Garry Kasparov’s repertoire.

Model games

Gligorić – Fischer, Havana 1966 Fischer uncorked a swift …e6 break, sacrificed a pawn, and generated dark-square pressure to win in 27 moves.
Kasparov – Kamsky, Linares 1993 A textbook illustration of White’s g-pawn thrust; Kasparov’s rook sacrifice on h5 set the tournament hall ablaze.

Illustrative miniature

The following condensed PGN shows the main ideas for both sides:

Typical plans (checklist)

White
- Advance b-pawn to b5, opening the a- and b-files.
- Launch g4–h4–h5 to soften Black’s king position.
- Target the c5-pawn or the c-file after exchanges.
Black
- Undermine with …e6; if the centre opens, the g7–bishop roars.
- Counter-sacrifice a pawn with …b5 or …c4 to activate pieces.
- Shift the queen to a5/e7 and double rooks on the b-file.

Interesting facts

The ECO code most often assigned is E81, although transpositions to E83-E89 are common.
In the early computer-chess era, engines considered White’s space grab overwhelming, yet modern neural-network engines often prefer Black’s dynamic chances—an example of changing evaluation paradigms.
Top grandmasters still deploy the line as a surprise weapon; Fabiano Caruana used it to beat Wesley So (Saint Louis Blitz 2021) after a speculative exchange sacrifice.

King's Indian: Sämisch, 5...O-O 6.Be3 c5 7.d5