King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation

Main line

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 d6 5.g3 O-O 6.Bg2 Nc6 7.O-O a6

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.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

1. 1.d4 White advances the pawn to d4, staking a claim in the center and giving the bishop and queen room to develop.
2. 1...Nf6 Black brings the knight from g8 to f6, a great developing move. From its new home on f6, this busy knight keeps watch over the middle of the board and gets ready to help defend the king. A friendly first step into the game!
3. 2.c4 White pushes the pawn to c4, building a strong pawn center alongside d4 and claiming more space in the middle of the board.
4. 2...g6 Black nudges the pawn to g6, making room to slide the bishop to g7. This is the start of the King's Indian fianchetto setup.
5. 3.Nc3 The white knight hops to c3, a strong square in the center. It supports the d4 pawn and helps control key squares in the middle.
6. 3...Bg7 Black places the bishop on g7, pointing it down the long diagonal toward the center. This powerful fianchettoed bishop will be very active in the game.
7. 4.Nf3 The knight moves to f3, joining the fight for the center. It guards the d4 pawn and works well with the other pieces already developed.
8. 4...d6 Black advances the pawn to d6, giving the dark-squared bishop a little more breathing room and supporting the center from behind.
9. 5.g3 White nudges the pawn to g3, making room to fianchetto the bishop on g2. This creates a strong diagonal for the bishop and helps protect the king.
10. 5...O-O Black castles kingside, tucking the king safely behind the pawns on f7, g6, and h7 and bringing the rook toward the center.
11. 6.Bg2 White places the bishop on g2, completing the fianchetto. The bishop now looks powerfully down the long diagonal and helps guard the castled king.
12. 6...Nc6 Black develops the knight to c6, adding pressure to the d4 pawn and bringing another piece into the game.

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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.

Most played continuations (1400-1600 rating)

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 d6 5.g3 O-O 6.Bg2 Nc6:

• O-O — played 68.9% of the time (White wins 50.9%, draws 3.5%, Black wins 45.6%)
• e4 — played 8.4% of the time (White wins 43.4%, draws 3.9%, Black wins 52.7%)
• d5 — played 6% of the time (White wins 51.1%, draws 1.7%, Black wins 47.2%)

Related openings

• King's Indian Defense
• King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation
• King's Indian Defense: Sämisch Variation
• King's Indian Defense: Four Pawns Attack
• King's Indian Defense: Makogonov Variation

Frequently asked questions

Why does the fianchetto neutralize the King's Indian attack?

The Mar del Plata storm works because White's pieces abandon the kingside for queenside play; with Bg2 and the knight often on e1 or d2 covering the king, the ...f5 break achieves nothing concrete. Black must switch to queenside or central counterplay — exactly the slower game White wants.

What is Black's best setup against the Fianchetto KID?

The Panno (...Nc6, ...a6, ...Rb8 with ...b5) generates genuine queenside counterplay and is the modern main line. The alternative ...Nbd7/...e5 classical setup is solid but slightly passive — fine for players comfortable maneuvering, frustrating for attackers who chose the KID to attack.