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The position
What King's Indian Defense puts on the board
Material is level, with black to move.
White has central pawns on d4.
White can still castle either side; Black can still castle either side.
White’s plan
What White is trying to build
Use the broad pawn centre to gain queenside space or break with e5.
Meet a kingside attack with concrete central or queenside play.
Black’s plan
How Black challenges it
Attack the centre with …e5 or …c5, then play on the wing the locked centre points toward.
Keep the dark-squared bishop active on the long diagonal.
The idea
The tactical pattern to recognise
…f5–f4 can open lines near the white king.
A locked centre often creates opposite-wing races rather than quiet manoeuvring.
The mistake
What to check before committing
Starting the wing race before the centre is fixed.
Trading the dark-squared bishop without a concrete gain.
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