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Train this openingAbout this opening
Black gives you the center on purpose and plans to blow it up later with e5 or c5, backed by the bishop on the long diagonal. Bg7 is the most played move here and it is the move the whole system is named for. This is one of the sharpest structures in chess: once Black plays e5 and you close with d5, both sides attack on opposite wings and the game becomes a straight race. You push on the queenside where you have more space, and Black throws the kingside pawns at your king. If that sounds risky for both sides, it is, which is why it rewards preparation more than most openings.
Plans
- Play Bg7 and aim the bishop down the long diagonal.
- Castle short, then strike the center with e5.
- Push f5 and g5 to attack once the center closes.
- Accept the race and count moves, because slow play loses it.
Where the pieces belong
- Bishop: g7, the piece the entire setup is built around
- Pawn: e5, the break that closes the center
- Knight: e8 or d7, rerouting to support the kingside push
- Pawn: f5, the first move of the attack
- King: castled short, and prepared to sit through a storm
A race on opposite wings. You attack the king and White attacks on the queenside, so tempo matters more than material and a defensive move often loses the game.
Variations
King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Delayed Fianchetto
Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. g3
King's Indian Defense: Semi-Classical Variation
Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. e3 d6 6. Be2
King's Indian Defense: Smyslov Variation
Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. Bg5
Neo-Grünfeld Defense: Delayed Exchange Variation
Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. g3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Bg2 c5 8. O-O