King's Indian Attack: Sicilian Variation
King's Indian Attack, Sicilian Variation
Definition
The King's Indian Attack (KIA), Sicilian Variation, is a system for White that arises when Black answers 1. e4 with the Sicilian Defence (…c5) and White deliberately steers the game away from mainstream Open-Sicilian theory into a King's Indian–style set-up. In most cases the move order begins 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6/e6 3. d3, after which White continues with g3, Bg2, 0-0, Nbd2, Re1 and sometimes Nf1–h4 or f2-f4, echoing the strategic ideas of the King's Indian Defence but with colours reversed.
Main Move Order
The following line is one of the most common pathways into the variation (ECO code B51):
- e4 c5
- Nf3 e6 (or 2…d6)
- d3 Nc6
- g3 g6
- Bg2 Bg7
- 0-0 Nge7
- Nbd2 0-0
- Re1 d6
At this point White can choose plans such as 9.c3 followed by d3-d4, or the direct kingside thrust 9.h4, Nf1–h2–g4, and f2-f4–f5.
Strategic Themes
- Flexible Pawn Structure: By delaying d2-d4 White avoids the early opening of the centre and keeps scope for either a later break with d4 or a kingside pawn storm with f4–f5.
- King's-side Initiative: Typical manoeuvres include Nf1–h2–g4, h2-h4-h5, and sometimes Bc1–h6, all aimed at weakening Black’s dark squares around the king.
- Colour-Reversed KID: The set-up mirrors the King's Indian Defence, so strategic motifs (central break vs kingside attack) are familiar to KID players.
- Anti-Theory Weapon: By avoiding 2.d4 White sidesteps huge volumes of Sicilian theory and forces Black into relatively less-charted territory.
Historical & Practical Significance
The KIA became popular in the mid-20th-century, largely thanks to Bobby Fischer, who used it as a universal system against both the French and the Sicilian. While it never supplanted the Open Sicilian at top level, it remains a dangerous practical choice up through elite play because:
- It allows White to choose the type of middlegame irrespective of Black’s exact set-up.
- It is strategically rich yet comparatively easy to learn.
- Its plans are transferable between different openings (French, Sicilian, Caro-Kann).
Illustrative Game
The following miniature shows a textbook kingside assault:
[[Pgn| 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3 Nc6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.O-O Nge7 7.Nbd2 O-O 8.Re1 d6 9.h4 h6 10.Nf1 e5 11.N1h2 f5 12.h5 g5 13.exf5 Bxf5 14.Ng4 Qd7 15.Nxh6+ Bxh6 16.Nxg5 |arrows|h4h5 f1h2 g1g5|squares|g5 f5]]White’s thematic h-pawn thrust and knight hop to g5 rip open Black’s king position. Although illustrative, plenty of high-level games follow similar patterns, such as Morozevich vs. Gelfand, Biel 2003.
Typical Plans for Both Sides
- White
- Manoeuvre Nf3–h4–f5 or Nf3–h2–g4.
- Push f2-f4-f5 to open lines toward g7 and h7.
- Delay d3-d4 until it hits with maximum effect, often when Black has played …e6-e5.
- Use the rook lift Re1–e2–h2 to reinforce the attack.
- Black
- Counter in the centre with …d5 or …f5 before White completes his kingside set-up.
- Expand on the queenside with …b5 and …a5, echoing standard Sicilian themes.
- Exchange dark-squared bishops (…Bg4 or …Bh3) to blunt White’s attacking bishop.
- Keep the knight on g8 flexible—sometimes …f5 or …Nh6-f7 is useful.
Examples of Critical Positions
After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3 Nc6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.O-O Nge7 7.Nbd2 O-O 8.Re1 d5?! the game can explode:
- If 9.exd5 exd5 10.Nb3 Qd6 11.c3 b6 12.Bf4 Qd7 13.d4!, White achieves the dream break with a pleasant edge.
- Conversely, premature kingside action by White (e.g., 9.h4?!) can be met by …h6 and …e5, giving Black central counterplay.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Bobby Fischer once quipped that the KIA was “an opening system you can play in your sleep,” underlining its practical simplicity.
- Grandmaster Pavel Eljanov scored an astounding 8½/9 with the line in the 2004 Ukrainian Championship, using near-identical plans in several games.
- Because the set-up can be reached from move orders beginning with 1.Nf3 or 1.g3, many blitz specialists employ it to avoid prepared computer lines.
- Some databases lump the variation under ECO code B29 when Black fianchettoes with …g6, reflecting how elastic ECO indexing can be.
Further Study
Players wishing to adopt the KIA against the Sicilian should study model games by Fischer, Morozevich, and Radjabov, and pay particular attention to pawn breaks …d5 and …f5 for Black and f4–f5 for White. Books such as “Opening Repertoire: The King’s Indian Attack” (Harvey, 2020) devote full chapters to the Sicilian lines.