Kings Indian Defense: Averbakh Benoni Advance Main Line
King's Indian Defense
Definition
The King's Indian Defense (KID) is a hyper-modern opening that begins with the moves 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6. Black allows White to build a seemingly imposing pawn center with pawns on d4 and e4, planning to undermine and attack it later with pawn breaks such as …e5 or …c5 and to launch a kingside assault.
How It Is Used in Chess
- Favored by aggressive, dynamic players who are comfortable with slightly restrained space in the opening.
- Used at every level—from scholastic tournaments to World Championship matches (e.g., Kasparov – Karpov, 1985).
- Common set-ups for White include the Classical, Sämisch, Averbakh, Fianchetto, and Four-Pawn Attack.
Strategic & Historical Significance
The KID epitomizes hyper-modern principles: control the center with pieces, not pawns, and then strike at the enemy pawn mass. In the 1950s and 1960s, players such as David Bronstein and Bobby Fischer proved the opening was sound at the highest level. Garry Kasparov revived and enriched the theory during the 1980s and 1990s, while modern exponents include Teimour Radjabov and Hikaru Nakamura.
Illustrative Example
Typical main-line sequence:
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O Nc6 8.d5 Ne7
Here Black prepares …f5 and a kingside pawn storm while White expands on the queenside with b4-c5.
Interesting Facts
- Anand employed the KID as Black in game 9 of the 1995 PCA World Championship match versus Kasparov—one of the last times the defense appeared in a World Championship game.
- The famous thematic sacrifice …Nxh2 !! often appears in KID positions, targeting the g-file around White’s king.
Averbakh Variation (King's Indian)
Definition
The Averbakh Variation is a positional branch of the King's Indian Defense that arises after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 O-O 6.Bg5. Named after Soviet grandmaster Yuri Averbakh, the line features an early Bg5 that pins the f6-knight and discourages Black’s standard …e5 break.
Usage & Typical Plans
- White’s goals: clamp down on …e5, possibly exchange on f6 to damage Black’s pawn structure, and expand on the queenside with c5 and b4.
- Black’s counterplay: break with …h6 …g5 or …c5, seek the freeing move …e6, or transpose into Benoni-like structures.
Strategic & Historical Notes
The line gained popularity in the 1960s when Averbakh and others looked for a more positional antidote to the razor-sharp main lines. It enjoyed a renaissance in the 2000s when players such as Peter Svidler used it successfully against top opposition.
Example Sequence
After 9…Re8 Black heads for …Na6 and …Nc7 while White keeps a space advantage.
Interesting Facts
- Grandmaster Judith Polgar famously beat Veselin Topalov with the Averbakh in the 1999 Dos Hermanas tournament, showcasing a textbook kingside attack after exchanging on f6.
- An engine quirk: In several long-time-control tests, Stockfish initially underestimates White’s space grip before eventually swinging heavily in White’s favor—illustrative of the line’s long-term positional pressure.
Benoni Defense
Definition
The Benoni Defense refers to a family of openings beginning with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5. Black concedes central space in return for piece activity and a pawn majority on the queenside. Two main branches are recognized:
- Modern Benoni: 3…e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6, usually followed by …g6 and a kingside fianchetto.
- Old Benoni: 3…b5!? or the immediate 1.d4 c5, which is rarer today.
Usage in Practice
- Chosen by players who relish unbalanced pawn structures and tactical middlegames.
- A typical plan: Black strikes with …b5, …a6, …Re8, and …Nbd7 before pushing …b5–b4 to open lines on the queenside, while White advances f2-f4-f5 and e4-e5 on the kingside.
- It can transpose from the King's Indian via the move order …c5 instead of …e5.
Strategic & Historical Significance
The Benoni became fashionable after Mikhail Tal and Robert Fischer used it to sharpen play in the 1960s. It later served as a surprise weapon for Garry Kasparov, notably in his win against Veselin Topalov (Wijk aan Zee 1999) albeit in the closely related Benko Gambit.
Illustrative Game Fragment
The position explodes after 15…Bxe5, embodying Benoni dynamics: open diagonals, central tension, and opposite-wing ambitions.
Interesting Facts
- The word “Benoni” means “son of my sorrow” in Hebrew, first appearing in Aaron Reinganum’s 1825 analysis pamphlet.
- Despite being considered risky by some engines, the Modern Benoni remains popular in correspondence chess where deep preparation can justify Black’s play.
Advance Variation (Concept)
Definition
In opening theory, an Advance Variation denotes a line where one side pushes a central pawn two squares forward early, usually on move 3, to gain space and cramp the opponent. The classic structure is e5 against a pawn on e7 (or vice-versa).
How It Is Used in Chess
- Grabs space and restricts the enemy pieces, at the cost of leaving the advanced pawn a potential target.
- Often leads to long-term strategic battles rather than immediate tactics.
- Commonly paired with a solid development scheme behind the pawn chain.
Key Openings Featuring an Advance
- French Defense, Advance: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5.
- Caro-Kann, Advance: 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5.
- King’s Gambit, Advance (McDonnell): 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.e5.
Strategic & Historical Notes
While the Advance was once considered slightly passive, modern engines appreciate the space-gaining approach. Aron Nimzowitsch advocated advancing the “e-pawn” as a way to restrict the opposing knight on f6, calling it a blockade pawn.
Example: French Advance Main Line
White holds a spatial wedge on e5; Black relies on pressure against d4 and timely pawn breaks …f6 or …c5.
Interesting Facts
- Karpov famously adopted the Advance Caro-Kann against Kasparov in the 1987 World Championship, leading to several tense strategic struggles.
- Because engines often see long-term space as an enduring plus, many correspondence players now choose Advance setups over sharper alternatives.
Main Line (Opening Terminology)
Definition
The term Main Line refers to the most widely accepted, heavily analyzed sequence of moves in a given opening. It typically represents the critical test of an opening’s soundness and is used as the baseline for evaluating sidelines and novelties.
Usage in Chess Literature & Analysis
- Annotated games often branch off with “
(Main Line)” and then list alternatives. - Engines are usually left running on the main line of an opening to establish the “principal variation.”
- Players prepare novelties (TN, or “theoretical novelties”) intending to deviate from an opponent’s expected main line.
Strategic Importance
Studying the main line equips a player with a deep understanding of typical middlegame structures and endgames arising from that opening. For example, the Ruy Lopez main line (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O) forms the backbone of scholarly opening literature.
Examples Across Openings
- Sicilian Najdorf Main Line: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6.
- Queen’s Gambit Declined Main Line: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 O-O.
- French Advance Main Line (see previous section).
Interesting Facts
- When Deep Blue beat Kasparov in 1997, it surprised him by entering the well-trodden main line of the Caro-Kann (game 6) and then deviating with a novel pawn sacrifice on move 7.
- In opening books, main lines can extend 25-30 moves deep; quoting them verbatim in correspondence play without attribution can violate fair-use rules!