King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation

Main line

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O Nc6

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 right in the heart of the board. This strong opening move gives the bishops and queen room to develop later.
2. 1...Nf6 Black jumps the knight to f6, a very active square. The knight attacks the center and gets developed early, which is always a good idea in the opening.
3. 2.c4 White pushes the pawn to c4, grabbing even more space in the center. Together with d4, these two pawns form a powerful pair that controls lots of important squares.
4. 2...g6 Black moves the pawn to g6, preparing to place the bishop on g7. This is the start of the King's Indian Defense, where Black builds a solid setup before striking back.
5. 3.Nc3 The knight hops out to c3, a dark square, getting into the game nice and early. From here it helps White control the center and reaches toward the kingside. Bringing your knights out fast is a smart, friendly way to start a chess battle.
6. 3...Bg7 Black slides the bishop to g7, completing the fianchetto. The bishop on g7 is very powerful — it looks all the way across the board and will be a key piece for Black.
7. 4.e4 White plays e4, completing the big pawn center with three pawns on d4, c4, and e4. This gives White a lot of space and prepares to develop the remaining pieces.
8. 4...d6 Black advances the pawn to d6, supporting the center and making room for the other pieces to come out. This solid move is typical in the King's Indian Defense.
9. 5.Nf3 White brings the knight to f3, a natural and strong square. The knight helps guard the center and gets White's kingside pieces closer to being ready to castle.
10. 5...O-O Black castles kingside, moving the king to safety behind the pawns on f8, g8, and h8. The rook on f8 also becomes more active and ready to join the game.
11. 6.Be2 White develops the bishop to e2, a safe and solid square. This move clears the way so White can castle kingside on the next move and keep the king safe.
12. 6...e5 Black pushes the pawn to e5, challenging White's strong center. This is a key King's Indian move — Black tries to fight back in the middle of the board after finishing development.

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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 (2200-2400 rating)

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5:

• O-O — played 57.6% of the time (White wins 49.1%, draws 5.7%, Black wins 45.2%)
• d5 — played 18.9% of the time (White wins 51.9%, draws 4.8%, Black wins 43.3%)
• Be3 — played 12.6% of the time (White wins 51.4%, draws 6%, Black wins 42.6%)

Related openings

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

Frequently asked questions

Why do both sides attack on different sides of the board?

After White plays d4-d5 the centre locks, so neither side can make progress through the middle. Pawn chains point diagonally, and you attack in the direction your chain points: White's c- and d-pawns aim queenside, Black's e- and f-pawns aim kingside. The result is a pure race, which is exactly why the Orthodox King's Indian produces such sharp, decisive games.

Is the Orthodox Variation too hard for club players?

The plans are actually easier to learn than in most openings because they barely change: Black plays ...Ne8 or ...Nd7, then ...f5, ...f4, ...g5 and marches. What makes it demanding is calculation once the storms collide, and the fact that a slow move can simply lose the race. It rewards players who like committal, attacking chess and dislike memorising branches.

How should White meet the Orthodox King's Indian?

The main line runs 7.O-O Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 when White plays on the queenside with c5, often prefacing it with Ne1 or Nd2 to support the f3 square and blunt Black's attack. Trading Black's dark-squared bishop or the knight that lands on f4 takes the sting out of the assault. Speed matters more than material — a tempo is usually worth more than a pawn.