King's Indian Defense

King's Indian is a redirect to this article. There is also the King's Indian attack .

King's Indian Defense
a b c d e f G H   8th 8th 7th 7th 6th 6th 5 5 4th 4th 3 3 2 2 1 1   a b c d e f G H
Trains	White: d4, c4, Sc3, e4; Black: Nf6, g6, Bg7, d6
ECO key	E60-E99
Named after	Fianchetto of the black king's runner
Oldest source	Competition Adolf Schwarz - Louis Paulsen
Played first	1879

The King's Indian Defense (in short: King's Indian ) is an opening of the game of chess . It is one of the Closed Games and emerges from the Indian Defense .

The opening begins with the trains, often changing trains

1. d2-d4 Ng8-f6

2. c2-c4 g7-g6

3. Nb1-c3 Bf8-g7

4. e2 – e4 d7 – d6

In some textbooks, the plural “King's Indian Defense” is used as a generic term for those Indian defenses in which Black fianchets his king's bishop with 2.… g7 – g6 . In addition to the King's Indian Defense, this also includes the Grünfeld Indian Defense . The corresponding setup with white is called the King's Indian attack or “King's Indian approaching”.

history

The King's Indian Defense was introduced into tournament practice at the end of the 19th century by Louis Paulsen , but at that time it did not have that name, but was classified as an "irregular" game start. With the beginning of the development of the Indian Complex at the beginning of the 1920s, it then became more popular. Richard Réti and Max Euwe were among her most significant early advocates . In the mid-1920s, the Viennese master Hans Kmoch invented the name of the now popular opening: "The Indian can also be divided and registered as follows: 'King's Indian' when the king's runner is fianceted, 'Lady’s Indian' when the female's runner is fianchetted." In 1945 the defense received important impulses from Soviet masters such as B. David Bronstein and Efim Geller and Yugoslav masters.

In 1956, Hans Kmoch summed up the development of the opening up until then as follows: “In Louis Paulsen's time, Louis Paulsen was the only supporter of this (his!) Defense. Steinitz described it as bad in 1896 - to the great satisfaction of Tarrasch . At that time the four pawn attack (c4 – d4 – e4 – f4) was considered murderous. But a quarter of a century later this attack collapsed under Euwe's counterfire and had a reputation for being downright suicidal. It was replaced by the three pawn attack (c4 – d4 – e4) with the ram move d4 – d5. Gradually, however, the idea gained ground that it would be more sustainable to replace d4 – d5 by maintaining the tension in the center for as long as possible. ”Then Boleslawski “ introduced the counterplay based on e5xd4 and c7 – c6. ”

In the 1950s to 1970s it was one of the preferred styles of play among the world's chess players and was used by a number of world champions (including Tigran Petrosian , Boris Spassky and, above all, Bobby Fischer ). Its popularity waned in the 1980s and 1990s, but it was still the most frequently played response to 1. d2 – d4 in the repertoire of the then world champion Garry Kasparov and was enriched by him with important ideas and innovations . The last time she was in a World Cup match was in 1990 between Anatoly Karpov and Kasparov.

At the beginning of the 21st century it is still to be found among the world's best, even if the black players often prefer systems that are considered more solid on 1. d2 – d4 without the fianchetto of the king's bishop, such as the Nimzowitsch Indian defense , the Queen's Indian defense or through d7 – d5 initiated queen pawn games , which then often lead to the queen's gambit . The main representative of the King's Indian Defense among the top players today is the Azerbaijani Teymur Rəcəbov .

Opening ideas

Depending on the continuation chosen by White, there are two central strategies for Black: attacking White's center either with e7 – e5 or with c7 – c5.

1. Strategy with the center advance e7 – e5: This is the original king's Indian strategy, which after the center barrier d4 – d5 very often leads to the typical deployment of White on the queenside (b4, c5, Rc1 ...) against the black attack on the kingside (f5, f4, g5 etc.) leads. This style of play is typical for all systems except the four-pawn attack and variants with very early Bc1 – g5. The black mortgage is always the bishop on g7 walled in by your own pawn chain . If Black does not succeed in implementing his king attack profitably, this poor bishop often leads to hopeless endgames .
2. Strategy with the center advance c7 – c5: This is the Benoni approach, in which the diagonal of the bishop g7 should not be blocked but expanded. Here Black is usually more active on the queenside, while White has advantages in the center. This way of playing is popular against the four pawn attack and all variants with early development of Bc1.

Rarer strategies put these pawn moves back, at times systems with an early Sa6 were popular (classic system, four pawn attack), c6 and a6 prepare b5, from time to time early Bg4 is played in the classic system , against the fianchetto system or the Samisch variant Nc6 played in conjunction with the advance on the queenside with a6, Rb8 and b5. Only as a reaction to the white plan does e5 or c5 occur later.

Main variants

The following main variants are known:

Classic system

The Classic System is a popular and much discussed opening system against the King's Indian Defense at grandmaster level.

4. e2 – e4 d7 – d6 5. Ng1 – f3 0–0 6. Bf1 – e2

Four pawn attack

4. e2-e4 d7-d6 5. f2-f4

The four pawn attack is an aggressive method of countering the reluctant black build-up of the game. The advance e7 – e5 is made more difficult after f2 – f4, which is why Black in most cases continues with c7 – c5 after short castling and tries in the longer term to take advantage of the weaknesses created in White's camp by the raised four pawns.

Even 5.… c7 – c5 6. d4xc5 Nf6 – d7 is quite possible.

The line in the four pawn attack named after the American IM William Edward Martz includes the move change 5. Bf1 – e2 0–0 6. f2 – f4.

Here White is aiming for 6.… c7 – c5 7. Ng1 – f3 cxd4 8. Nf3xd4 Nb8 – c6 9. Bc1 – e3 a Maroczy center in the accelerated dragon variant with an f-pawn advanced in a double step.

After 8.… Qb6 9. Bc1 – e3, the b2-pawn turns out to be poisoned. 9.… Qb6xb2 ?? 10. Nc3 – a4 Qb2 – a3 11. Be3 – c1 Qa3 – b4 + 12. Bc1 – d2 Qb4 – a3 13. Nd4 – b5 the queen loses.

Chamois variant

4. e2-e4 d7-d6 5. f2-f3

In the Sämisch variant (named after the German master player Friedrich Sämisch ) there are often sharp positions with opposite castling. With the move f2 – f3 White supports the pawn on e4, prevents the black queen's bishop from falling out after g4 and, for example, prepares an attack on the king with g2 – g4 and h2 – h4.

The former world chess champion Bobby Fischer , in the words of William Lombardy the greatest of all connoisseurs of the King's Indian defense, recommended the Samisch variant as an effective weapon for White.

In Boris Spassky - David Bronstein , Candidates Tournament Amsterdam 1956 , after 5.… e7 – e5 6. d4 – d5 Nf6 – h5 7. Bc1 – e3 Nb8 – a6 8. Qd1 – d2 the unclear queen sacrifice Qd8 – h4 + 9. g2– g3 Nh5xg3 10. Qd2 – f2 Ng3xf1 11. Qf2xh4 Nf1xe3 introduced.

In the main line after 5.… 0–0 6. Bc1-e3 Nb8-d7 John Nunn managed a brilliant game .

Likewise reach Eduard Gufeld two brilliant games in the main line after 5 ... 6 0-0 L c1-e3 Nb8-c6.

Awerbach system

→ Main article : Awerbach system

The turn orders

4. e2 – e4 d7 – d6 5. Bf1 – e2 0–0 6. Bc1 – g5

or less often 4. e2 – e4 d7 – d6 5. Bc1 – g5

are named after Yuri Averbach . Similar to the Sämisch variant, the white man is planning an attack on the kingside with the g and h pawns. The move Lc1 – g5 is often followed by c7 – c5.

Makogonow variant

4. e2 – e4 d7 – d6 5. h2 – h3 0–0

The variant with an early h3 is named after the grandmaster Vladimir Makogonov . With the move h2 – h3 White prevents on the one hand the bishop move or the knight loss after g4 and on the other hand prepares the advance g2 – g4, whereby the typical black counterplay f7 – f5 on the pawn chain is made more difficult. The white plan is often associated with long castling . This scenario arises e.g. B. after 6. Ng1 – f3 e7 – e5 7. d4 – d5 (in the case of 7. d4xe5 d6xe5 another 8. Qd1xd8 Rf8xd8 9. Nf3xe5 is answered with Nf6xe4 as in the classical system .) Nf6 – h5 8. Bc1 – e3 Then after f7 – f5 9. e4xf5 the retake g6xf5 would be prevented because of the deduction 10. Nf3xe5 Bg7xe5 11. Qd1xh5. On the safe 7.… Nf6 – e8, 8. g2 – g4 f7 – f5 9. g4xf5 g6xf5 10. e4xf5 Bc8xf5 11. Nf3 – g5 Ne8 – f6 12. Bf1 – g2 would conquer the blockade e4.

Fianchetto system

The neutral development move 4. Ng1 – f3 mostly leads to the Fianchetto system or the classical system

4. Ng1-f3 d7-d6 5. g2-g3 0-0 6. Bf1-g2

6.… c7 – c5

6.… Nb8 – d7 7. 0–0 e7 – e5 8. e2 – e4 is the main variation of this Fianchetto system. For more see the section known games in the article Wassili Wassiljewitsch Smyslow

6.… c7 – c6 7. 0–0 Qd8 – a5

6.… Nb8 – c6 7. 0–0 a7 – a6, the Panno variant (named after Óscar Panno ).

Smyslow variant

The Smyslow variant, named after the ex-world champion Vasily Smyslow , is rarely found and is created according to the sequence of moves

4. Ng1-f3 d7-d6 5. Bc1-g5

Hungarian attack

After 4. e2 – e4 d7 – d6, 5. Ng1 – e2 leads to a structure that was first used by Hungarian players in the 1960s. This sequence of moves only becomes important when the knight is immediately transferred to g3 (6. Ne2 – g3), otherwise the Samisch variant can also be achieved by changing moves (6. or 7. f2 – f3). From g3 the knight covers the pawn e4 on the one hand, and on the other hand complicates Black's thematic advance f7 – f5. Under certain circumstances the knight also supports the white move of the h-pawn (h2 – h4 – h5) with the opening of the h-file and a subsequent king attack. Black can prevent this with h7 – h5 at the expense of weakening the g5-square.

literature

• Luděk Pachman : King's Indian Defense. Edition Olms, Zurich 2000, ISBN 3-283-00325-4 .
• Joe Gallagher : Starting Out: The King's Indian. 3. Edition. Everyman Chess, London 2004, ISBN 1-85744-234-2 .
• David Levy, Kevin O'Connell: How do you play King's Indian? 5th edition. Walter Rau Verlag, Düsseldorf 1992, ISBN 3-7919-0197-4 .
• Gennady Nesis , Nikita Kalinitschenko: King's Indian Defense - played right. 2nd Edition. Thomas Beyer Verlag, Hollfeld 1995, ISBN 3-89168-031-7 .
• Chess Agengy Caissa-90: King's Indian Defense. Moravian Chess, Olomouc 2000, ISBN 80-7189-309-9 and ISBN 80-7189-123-1 .
• Jerzy Konikowski , Marek Soszynski: The Fearsome Four Pawns Attack. Russell Enterprises, Milford 2005, ISBN 1-888690-27-5 .
• Viktor Bologan : The King's Indian Bible. SENSEI Verlag, Kernen 2011, ISBN 978-3-932576-77-5 .
• Anatoli Vaisser:  Beating the King's Indian and Benoni , Batsford, London 2003 (new edition) ISBN 0-7134-8022-X .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Textbook of the chess game, 29th edition (table of contents). (PDF) German National Library, accessed on October 2, 2015 . 
2. ↑ Hans Kmoch: The Art of Defense , Berlin / New York 1982 (4th ed.), P. 33.
3. ↑ Kmoch gives the game Sämisch-Euwe, Wiesbaden 1925, in the 1. d4 Nf6 2. g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f4 0–0 6. Nf3 c5 7. d5 e6! Bd3 exd5 9. cxd5 Qb6! 10. Nd2 Ng4! 11. Nc4 Qd8 12. Be2 h5 "with excellent play for Black" happened.
4. ↑ Hans Kmoch: The art of peasant leadership. 2nd Edition. Berlin 1967, p. 105 and p. 102.
5. ↑ Harold C. Schonberg: The Grand Masters of Chess. Book Guild Gutenberg, Frankfurt am Main 1976, p. 271.
6. ^ Bobby Fischer: Checkmate. In: Boys' Life. August 1969, p. 18 ( online ).