King's Indian Attack

What King's Indian Attack puts on the board

Material is level, with black to move.

Black has central pawns on d5.

White can still castle either side; Black can still castle either side.

What White is trying to build

Develop around the King's Indian Attack pawn structure before starting a wing operation.

Keep the central pawn breaks available until the pieces show which one helps.

How Black challenges it

Contest the centre and finish king safety before collecting loose material.

Meet the named attack with development and a counterstrike in the centre.

The tactical pattern to recognise

Central pawn breaks can open files while a king or queen is still exposed.

Loose pieces and undefended central pawns matter more when both sides are still developing.

What to check before committing

Repeating a piece move without checking whether a new piece can be developed instead.

Starting a flank plan while the centre can still open against the king.

Choose the next book move

Preview a move to see the resulting position and the idea behind it. Select it to continue on the same board.