King's Indian Defense
ECO E60-E99intermediate
The King's Indian Defense — 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 followed by ...d6 and ...e5 — is the most ambitious defense to 1.d4 ever devised. Black concedes the center deliberately, then assaults it: in the Classical main line both sides castle short and Black launches the iconic ...f5-f4 and ...g5-g4 pawn storm at White's king while White breaks through on the queenside with c5 — a true race. Kasparov, Fischer and Tal made it a legend; it remains the weapon of choice for players who must win with Black.
Main line
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 O-O 6.Be3 e5 7.d5 a5
Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.
Win rates by rating
Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.
| Rating | Games | White wins | Draws | Black wins | Position after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400-600 | 42 | 50% | 2.4% | 47.6% | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 |
| 600-800 | 61 | 49.2% | 1.6% | 49.2% | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 |
| 800-1000 | 35 | 57.1% | 0% | 42.9% | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 |
| 1000-1200 | 77 | 55.8% | 3.9% | 40.3% | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 |
| 1200-1400 | 196 | 43.4% | 2% | 54.6% | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 |
Most played continuations (1200-1400 rating)
After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5:
- d5 — played 53.1% of the time (White wins 43.3%, draws 1.9%, Black wins 54.8%)
- dxe5 — played 23% of the time (White wins 37.8%, draws 4.4%, Black wins 57.8%)
- O-O — played 16.3% of the time (White wins 50%, draws 0%, Black wins 50%)
Related openings
Frequently asked questions
Is the King's Indian too risky for club players?
It is double-edged but enormously practical: plans matter more than precise theory, the same structures recur in every game, and White players below master level rarely handle the queenside race correctly. If you are comfortable being attacked on one wing while attacking on the other, it is one of the highest-scoring Black defenses.
What is the Mar del Plata attack?
The signature KID battle: in the Classical after 9.Ne1 Nd7 10.Be3 f5 11.f3 f4 12.Bf2 g5, Black throws every kingside pawn at White's king while White invades with c5 and Nb5 on the other wing. Whoever breaks through first wins — games routinely end in mate or a queened pawn.
What is White's most testing line against the KID?
Each main system poses a different question: the Classical (Nf3 and Be2) enters the race on theoretical terms, the Sämisch (f3) blunts ...Ng4 and prepares a Be3/Qd2 clamp, and the Fianchetto (g3) sidesteps the attack entirely — the line KID players universally find most annoying.
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