E60
King’s Indian Defense
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7
The King’s Indian lets White build a big pawn center, then counterattacks it — often with a ferocious kingside pawn storm after ...e5 and ...f5. It is one of the sharpest, most exciting defenses to 1.d4.
It demands courage and understanding of opposite-wing attacks: White races on the queenside, Black mates on the kingside. Timing is everything.
Key plans
- Classic plan: ...e5, then ...f5–f4 and a kingside pawn avalanche.
- White counters on the queenside with c5 and b4.
- Know when to close the center vs. keep it flexible.
Play the King’s Indian Defense? See where you go wrong.
Deepline reviews your real games, finds the exact moves that cost you, and trains the fixes.
Analyze my games free →Related openings
Grunfeld Defense: Counterthrust VariationIndian Defense: Anti-Grunfeld, Adorjan GambitIndian Defense: Anti-Grunfeld, Advance VariationIndian Defense: Anti-Grunfeld, Alekhine VariationIndian Defense: Anti-Grunfeld, Alekhine Variation, Leko GambitIndian Defense: Anti-Grunfeld, Basman-Williams AttackIndian Defense: West Indian DefenseKing's Indian Defense: Fianchetto VariationKing's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Immediate FianchettoKing's Indian Defense: Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation