E61

King's Indian Defense

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3

The position after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3, Black to move.

In the King's Indian Defense, aim to understand the plans and pawn structures, not just memorize the first moves.

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The King's Indian Defense is a chess opening classified under ECO code E61. It is reached after the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3: 5 moves in, with Black to play.

Learn its typical plans and pawn structures rather than memorizing moves — that’s what holds up over the board.

Dozens of named variations branch from this position; the list at the end of the page goes one move deeper into each.

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Variations of the King's Indian Defense

Fianchetto Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3
Fianchetto Variation, Immediate Fianchetto1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3
Normal Variation, King's Knight Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4
Santasiere Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. b4
Fianchetto Variation, Benjamin Defense1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. g3 O-O 6. Bg2 c6 7. O-O Qb6
Semi-Classical Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. e3 d6 6. Be2
Smyslov Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. Bg5
Fianchetto Variation, Carlsbad Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. Nc3 d6 6. Nf3 Nc6
Fianchetto Variation, Delayed Fianchetto1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. g3
Fianchetto Variation, Kavalek Defense1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O c6 7. Nc3 Qa5
Fianchetto Variation, Simagin Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. g3 O-O 6. Bg2 Nc6 7. O-O Bg4
Fianchetto Variation, Uhlmann-Szabo System1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O Nc6 7. Nc3 e5
Fianchetto1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. g3
Fianchetto Variation, Panno Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O Nc6 7. Nc3 a6
Fianchetto Variation, Panno Variation, Blockade Line1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O Nc6 7. Nc3 a6 8. d5 Na5 9. Nd2 c5 10. Qc2 e5
Fianchetto Variation, Panno Variation, Donner Line1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O Nc6 7. Nc3 a6 8. d5 Na5 9. Nd2 c5 10. Qc2 Rb8 11. b3 b5 12. Bb2 bxc4 13. bxc4 Bh6
Fianchetto Variation, Panno Variation, Korchnoi Line1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O Nc6 7. Nc3 a6 8. h3 Rb8 9. Be3 b5 10. Nd2
Fianchetto Variation, Yugoslav System1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 d6 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O c5
Fianchetto Variation, Double Fianchetto Attack1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 d6 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nc3 e5 8. b3
Fianchetto Variation, Hungarian Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 d6 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nc3 a6
Fianchetto Variation, Pterodactyl Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 c5 5. Bg2 Qa5+
Fianchetto Variation, Yugoslav Variation, Rare Line1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. Nc3 d6 6. Nf3 c5
Fianchetto Variation, Yugoslav Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O c5 7. Nc3
Fianchetto Variation, Yugoslav Variation, Exchange Line1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O c5 7. Nc3 Nc6 8. dxc5 dxc5
Fianchetto Variation, Yugoslav Variation, Advance Line1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O c5 7. Nc3 Nc6 8. d5
Fianchetto Variation, Classical Fianchetto1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nc3 e5
Fianchetto Variation, Debrecen Defense1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. Nc3 d6 6. Nf3 Nbd7
Fianchetto Variation, Classical Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nc3 e5 8. e4
Fianchetto Variation, Long Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. g3 O-O 6. Bg2 Nbd7 7. O-O e5 8. e4 Re8 9. h3 exd4 10. Nxd4 Nc5 11. Re1 a5
Fianchetto Variation, Classical Main Line1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nc3 e5 8. e4 c6 9. h3
Normal Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4
Accelerated Averbakh Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Bg5
Kramer Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nge2
Makogonov Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. h3
Normal Variation, Deferred Fianchetto1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. g3
Pomar System1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. g3 O-O 6. Bg2 e5 7. Nge2
Averbakh Variation1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Bg5
Normal Variation, Standard Development1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2
Semi-Averbakh System1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Be3
Averbakh1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be3

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