What King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation puts on the board
Material is level, with black to move.
White has central pawns on d4 and e4.
White can still castle either side; Black has castled kingside.
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.
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 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.
What to check before committing
Starting the wing race before the centre is fixed.
Trading the dark-squared bishop without a concrete gain.
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.
Reference links and alternate move orders
Move orders
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be21.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e51.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O Nbd7 8.Re1
Related variations
- King's Indian Defense: Accelerated Averbakh Variation
- King's Indian Defense: Averbakh Variation
- King's Indian Defense: Exchange Variation
- King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation
- King's Indian Defense: Four Pawns Attack
- King's Indian Defense: Karpov System
- King's Indian Defense: Kazakh Variation
- King's Indian Defense: Kramer Variation
- King's Indian Defense: Larsen Variation
- King's Indian Defense: Makogonov Variation
- King's Indian Defense: Normal Variation
- King's Indian Defense: Petrosian Variation