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King's Indian Defence

Black lets White take the centre, then strikes back with ...e5. After d5, White attacks on the queenside and Black storms the kingside with ...f5. Fischer and Kasparov's weapon.

Advanced · Indian defences · 18 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

King's Indian Defence (E97). You play Black. Black lets White take the centre, then strikes back with ...e5. After d5, White attacks on the queenside and Black storms the kingside with ...f5. Fischer and Kasparov's weapon.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 35% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 60% of 1.4 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.c4

White plays pawn to c4. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 67% of 805k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...g6

Black plays pawn to g6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 34% of 537k games.

Step 6

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.Nc3

White plays knight to c3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 80% of 187k games.

Step 7

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...Bg7

Black plays bishop to g7. It develops the bishop into the game. Fianchetto: the bishop aims along the long diagonal. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 67% of 151k games.

Step 8

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 91% of 104k games.

Step 9

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...d6

Black plays pawn to d6. It controls the centre (e5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 90% of 93k games.

Step 10

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 34% of 97k games.

Step 11

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...O-O

Black castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 98% of 50k games.

Step 12

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.Be2

White plays bishop to e2. It develops the bishop into the game. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 84% of 67k games.

Step 13

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...e5

Black plays pawn to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It challenges the opponent's pawns. It offers a pawn (a gambit) to win time or the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 73% of 65k games.

Step 14

♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.O-O

White castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 62% of 49k games.

Step 15

♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7...Nc6

Black plays knight to c6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 66% of 30k games.

Step 16

♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8.d5

White plays pawn to d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It gains space. It attacks the knight on c6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 91% of 21k games.

Step 17

♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8...Ne7

Black plays knight to e7. It controls the centre (d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 18k games.

Step 18

♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the King's Indian Defence. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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More lessons in Indian defences

Next lesson: Nimzo-Indian Defence