King's Indian Defense: Makogonov Variation

Main line

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.h3 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.

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 strong claim in the center and opening paths for the bishop and queen to develop.
2. 1...Nf6 The knight jumps to f6, a great central square. It eyes the d5 and e4 squares and is ready to help defend and attack.
3. 2.c4 White pushes the pawn to c4, building a big pawn center with the d4 pawn. Together they control lots of important squares.
4. 2...g6 Black moves the pawn to g6, making room for the bishop to slide out to g7. This is the start of the King's Indian setup.
5. 3.Nc3 The knight develops to c3, a strong square where it supports the center pawns and gets ready to join the fight.
6. 3...Bg7 Black's bishop slides to g7, pointing powerfully down the long diagonal. This is the heart of the King's Indian — the dragon bishop!
7. 4.e4 White plants another pawn in the center with e4. Now White has pawns on c4, d4, and e4, grabbing a huge amount of space.
8. 4...d6 Black moves the pawn to d6, supporting the e5 square and making room for the dark-squared bishop to develop later.
9. 5.h3 White pushes the pawn to h3, a useful little move that stops the black knight or bishop from jumping to g4 and causing trouble.
10. 5...O-O Black castles kingside, tucking the king safely behind the pawns on f7, g6, and h7, while the rook slides to f8 to become active.
11. 6.Be3 White's bishop steps to e3, developing nicely and guarding the d4 pawn. It also watches over the queenside and keeps things solid.
12. 6...e5 Black pushes the pawn to e5, challenging White's center and claiming space. This is a typical King's Indian counter-attack in the middle.

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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 (600-800 rating)

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6:

• Nf3 — played 40% of the time (White wins 47%, draws 2.2%, Black wins 50.8%)
• e5 — played 10.5% of the time (White wins 38.7%, draws 4.7%, Black wins 56.6%)
• Bd3 — played 8.6% of the time (White wins 33.3%, draws 0%, Black wins 66.7%)

Related openings

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

Frequently asked questions

Is spending a move on h3 really worth it?

Yes, because of what it prevents rather than what it does. Without h3, Be3 invites ...Ng4 and White must either retreat, allow a trade, or play the awkward Bg5. One tempo now buys a clean setup for the whole game, and in a slow opening like the King's Indian that trade is a good one.

How should Black meet the Makogonov?

Get on with the standard plan and accept that ...Ng4 is gone. Black usually plays ...e5 and prepares the kingside expansion as normal; some prefer ...c5 setups instead, on the grounds that White's h3 does nothing at all against a queenside strategy. Both are respectable.

Why has it become so popular at top level?

Because it takes away the King's Indian's easiest source of counterplay without conceding anything. The King's Indian thrives on positions where Black's plan is automatic; the Makogonov produces positions where it is merely good, and at the highest level that difference has been enough.