Black · 1.d4
King’s Indian Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6
Black lets White take the centre, then tries to break it with ...e5 or ...c5 and a kingside attack. Double-edged on purpose.
What it is
Hypermodern: you fianchetto the king’s bishop and allow White a big pawn centre (c4–d4–e4). The idea is not to stay cramped forever. It is to strike with ...e5 or ...c5, then often to throw the kingside pawns if White has castled short and closed the centre. When it works, it is a mating attack. When it does not, you are suffocating.
How to play it
- 1...Nf6, 2...g6, 3...Bg7, 4...d6, castle. That is the setup against 1.d4 and 2.c4.
- Against the Classical (Nf3, Be2, O-O), the main break is ...e5. Know the lines where the centre closes and you play ...f5.
- Against the Sämisch (f3), White is playing for a bind and a queenside or central squeeze. Your play is still ...c5 or ...e5, but the tactics change.
- Do not play a “King’s Indian setup” against everything without knowing whether White even played c4. Against a London, it is a different game.
Main variations
Classical
White: Nf3, Be2, O-O; Black: ...e5
The main highway. If White closes with d5, Black’s kingside pawn storm is the plan and White’s queenside is the race. Both sides must play their own wing. Half-measures lose.
Sämisch
White: f3
White solidifies e4 and can castle long or keep the king in the centre for a while. Black needs a concrete break. This is not the Classical with a different move order.
Four Pawns Attack
White: f4 and e4
White takes the whole centre. If you do not hit it immediately, you get crushed. If you do, the game is a mess in your favour or theirs. Study it or avoid 1.d4 players who like this.
Fianchetto Variation
White: g3 and Bg2
Quieter, positional, and annoying if you only memorised mating attacks. You need a plan against the solid kingside: ...c5, ...e5, or a central break, not a blind ...f5.
Strengths and costs
Why play it
- You can play for a win as Black against 1.d4.
- The attacking patterns repeat; they become a skill, not a line.
- Works as a system against a lot of 1.d4 setups once you know the breaks.
What you give up
- Cramped until the break. Some people hate that.
- White’s space is real; bad timing loses without a fight.
- Each White system (Classical, Sämisch, Four Pawns, g3) is its own chapter.
Common mistakes
...f5 too early
The storm needs a closed centre and pieces behind it. An early ...f5 with the centre open is a hole on e6.
Ignoring the queenside
White is coming there. If you only attack, you get mated on the other side — or your queenside disappears.
Trading Bg7
That bishop is the opening. Give it up and you are playing a bad Pirc.
Playing both wings halfway
The KID is a race. Choose, then run.
Related openings
FAQ
KID or Queen’s Gambit Declined?
QGD if you want a solid centre and less chaos. KID if you want to attack and you will study the breaks.
Can I play this as a beginner?
You can play a fianchetto setup. The full KID against 2.c4 is an intermediate opening. Learn ...d6, ...Bg7, and one break before you add the pawn storm.