Kings Indian Defense: Accelerated Averbakh Variation
King’s Indian Defense – Accelerated Averbakh Variation
Definition
The Accelerated Averbakh is a branch of the King’s Indian Defense in which White adopts the classical Averbakh setup with an early 5.Be2 and 6.Bg5, while Black counters not with the traditional …e5 break but with an “accelerated” …c5 strike. A typical move-order is:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Bg5 c5 (Diagram after 6…c5)
Typical Move Order
- 1.d4 Nf6
- 2.c4 g6
- 3.Nc3 Bg7
- 4.e4 d6
- 5.Be2 0-0
- 6.Bg5 c5 → main tabiya of the Accelerated system
Black’s immediate …c5 attacks the d4-pawn and challenges the center before committing the king’s-side pawn to …e5. In many lines Black follows up with …cxd4, …a6, and …Nc6, steering toward Benoni-style structures but with a more flexible pawn skeleton.
Strategic Ideas
- Black seeks rapid queenside counterplay: …c5, …cxd4, …b5, and sometimes …Qa5 or …Qb6 to pressure d4 and b2.
- White aims to exploit the pin on the f6-knight (Bg5) and push f2-f4-f5 in some lines, while keeping central tension with d4–e4 pawns.
- The absence of …e5 means Black’s dark-squared bishop on g7 remains unobstructed, increasing long-diagonal pressure.
- Pawn structures often transpose to the Modern Benoni or the King’s Indian Fianchetto Benoni (…c5 without …e5).
Historical Background
Grandmaster Yuri Averbakh (b. 1922) popularized the original 6.Bg5 line in the 1950s, aiming for a positional squeeze. The accelerated offshoot emerged in the late 1970s when Soviet players such as Garry Kasparov and Alexander Beliavsky began using …c5 early to sidestep heavy preparation in the classical Averbakh and reach sharper terrain.
Model Game
In this 1981 USSR Championship slugfest, Kasparov (Black) employed the accelerated scheme to unbalance the position immediately. Although tactical complications eventually favored White, the game became a textbook illustration of Black’s plan: …c5, …b5, and pressure down the a- and b-files.
Typical Plans & Motifs
- Benoni Pawn-Storm: After …cxd4 and …e6 / …a6, Black can thrust …b5 and later …exd5, reaching dynamic Benoni-like positions with hanging pawns.
- Kingside Clamp: White sometimes plays d5 followed by f4-f5 and h4-h5, trying to freeze Black’s kingside counterplay and exploit the Bg5 pin.
- Piece Sacrifices on e5 or b5: The early tension around c5 and d4 makes tactical blows—Nxe5 for White or …Nxe4/…Nxe4 for Black—common.
- Flexible Center: By delaying …e5, Black reserves the option to meet d5 with …e6 instead, transforming the structure and opening the dark-squared bishop.
Common Traps
- 7.dxc5?! Black replies 7…Qa5! hitting c5 and g5 simultaneously, regaining the pawn with a good game.
- 8.d5 b5! (Benko-style pawn sacrifice) — accepting the pawn can leave White’s queenside pieces undeveloped and the a1-rook stranded.
Interesting Facts
- Because it often transposes to Benoni structures, some databases classify the accelerated line under ECO A66–A69 instead of the usual King’s Indian E-codes.
- Machines love the long-diagonal activity: in the 1997 training match Kasparov – Deep Blue, the world champion considered the Accelerated Averbakh as a surprise weapon against the computer’s King’s Indian setup but ultimately opted for a different system.
- Yuri Averbakh lived to be 100+ years old, making him not only a theoretician of the variation but also the oldest living grandmaster in history when he passed away in 2022.
Practical Tips
- If you play Black: learn typical Benoni plans—piece activity is more important than counting pawns.
- If you play White: do not rush to capture on c5; instead, strengthen the center with Nf3, d5, and f4 if possible.
- Move-order finesse: Black can insert 6…h6 first, forcing 7.Be3 or 7.Bh4, then strike with …c5, avoiding certain Bg5 pin lines.