King's Indian Attack
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3
The King's Indian Attack is a chess opening reached after 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3, catalogued under code A07 in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO).
The defining move g3 is chosen by White on move 2.
13 named continuations branch from this position, including the Smyslov Variation and the Spassky Variation.
What is the King's Indian Attack?
The King's Indian Attack is a chess opening system for White built on the moves Nf3, g3, Bg2, O-O, d3, Nbd2 and e4, reached from 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 or from 1.e4 e6 2.d3 and 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3. It is the King's Indian Defense played with the white pieces and an extra tempo: a flexible, low-theory setup that can be used against almost any black reply, which is why it has been a favorite of players who want one system rather than a repertoire.
The character of the game comes from the pawn on e4 and the plan of e5. Once White has castled and played e4, the thematic advance e5 gains space, cramps Black's kingside and prepares the attack with Re1, Nf1, h4, Bf4 and Nh2-g4 or N1h2-g4. Black gets the queenside in return: ...b5, ...b4 and ...c4 with play on the c-file. Fischer used it to win brilliancies against the French and the Sicilian, and it remains a practical weapon at every level.
How to reach the King's Indian Attack
The King's Indian Attack is defined by the setup rather than the move order. From 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 White plays Bg2, O-O, d3, Nbd2 and e4 against whatever Black chooses; from 1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 it is an anti-French; from 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3 an anti-Sicilian. The most important black setups are the French structure with ...e6, ...d5, ...c5, ...Nc6 and ...Be7, the ...Bg4 systems that trade the light-squared bishop, the ...c6 and ...Bf5 Slav setup, and the mirrored King's Indian with ...g6.
Pros and cons of the King's Indian Attack
Pros
- One system against everything: the same moves work against the French, the Sicilian and 1...d5, with almost no theory to memorize.
- A clear, powerful plan: e5, then the kingside attack with Re1, Nf1, h4 and the knight to g4 or f5.
- Fischer's brilliancies show how strong the attack becomes against a passive black setup.
- Flexible move orders let White avoid an opponent's preparation entirely.
Cons
- It is a system, not a challenge: Black equalizes comfortably with the right setup, and White has no early advantage.
- Against ...Bg4 and an early trade of light-squared bishops, the attack loses its main piece.
- Black's queenside play with ...b5, ...b4 and ...c4 is often faster than White's kingside attack if White is slow.
- The mirrored setup with ...g6 gives Black a symmetrical game and easy development.
Main variations of the King's Indian Attack
King's Indian Attack vs the French setup (...e6, ...d5, ...c5)
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.O-O Be7 5.d3 O-O 6.Nbd2 c5 7.e4 Nc6 8.Re1 b5
The classic King's Indian Attack battle. Black adopts a French structure with a big queenside majority; White plays e4 and prepares e5 with Re1, then the attack with Nf1, h4, Bf4 and N1h2-g4. Black's counter is the queenside pawn storm with ...b5, ...b4 and ...c4 down the c-file. The side that attacks faster wins, and both sides' plans are well mapped.
King's Indian Attack vs the Sicilian (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d3)
1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.Ngf3 c5 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Be7 7.O-O O-O
The anti-French and anti-Sicilian version, reached here through the French move order. White plays the same setup with the e-pawn already on e4, so the e5 push comes with tempo against the f6-knight. Fischer's win against Myagmarsuren at Sousse 1967 is the model: e5, Re1, Nf1, h4, Bf4, N1h2-g4 and a decisive kingside attack.
King's Indian Attack vs ...Bg4 (early bishop trade)
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Bg4 3.Bg2 Nd7 4.O-O e6 5.d3 Ngf6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7.e4 O-O
Black develops the light-squared bishop outside the pawn chain to g4, ready to trade it for the f3-knight, which removes one of White's attacking pieces and weakens the e5 plan. It is one of Black's most reliable answers. White plays h3 to ask the bishop's intentions and switches to the c3 and Qc2 or Qe1 plans if the attack is blunted.
King's Indian Attack vs the Slav setup (...c6 and ...Bg4 or ...Bf5)
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c6 3.Bg2 Bg4 4.O-O Nd7 5.d3 Ngf6 6.Nbd2 e5 7.e4 dxe4 8.dxe4 Bc5
Black supports d5 with ...c6, develops the bishop outside the chain and takes the center with ...e5 as well, denying White the e5 push. The resulting positions are symmetrical and solid, and White's plans shift to c3, Qe2 and the a4 lever or a slow kingside plan with Nh4 and f4. A good choice for players who want to neutralize the King's Indian Attack rather than fight it.
King's Indian Attack vs the mirrored King's Indian (...g6)
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c5 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.O-O e5 5.d3 Nf6 6.Nbd2 Be7 7.e4 O-O 8.Re1 dxe4 9.dxe4
Black meets the setup with a big center of his own, ...c5, ...e5 and ...d5, and after the exchange on e4 the position is symmetrical with knights on d2 and c6. White's extra tempo shows in the Nc4 and Bd2-c3 ideas and the c3 and a4 clamp; Black's in the ...Nd4 outpost. Solid and equal, but rich in maneuvering play.
How to play against the King's Indian Attack
The King's Indian Attack is a plan, so the answer is to take away the plan. The e5 push and the kingside attack that follows depend on the knight on f3 and the bishop on g2; the most reliable antidotes are an early ...Bg4 to trade the knight, or ...c6 and ...e5 to occupy the center first so that e5 never comes with effect. Against the French-structure lines, do not sit under the attack: play ...b5, ...b4 and ...c4 at once, open the c-file, and put a knight on d4 or c5 while White is still regrouping with Nf1 and h4; a well-timed ...f6 also dissolves the e5-spearhead. Players who prefer symmetry can mirror the setup with ...g6 and ...Bg7 and equalize without risk. Whatever the choice, castle early and never allow a knight on g4 or f5 next to the king.
Plans for both sides
White's plan
Complete the setup, play e4 and then e5 to cramp the kingside, and attack with Re1, Nf1, h4, Bf4 and the knight to g4 or f5, often with Qe2 and the rook lift Re1-e3-h3 or g3. Use the extra tempo to keep the initiative; if Black trades the light-squared bishops or plays ...e5 first, switch to the c3, a4 and Qc2 plan on the queenside.
Black's plan
Neutralize the e5 push with ...Bg4, ...c6 and ...e5, or the mirrored setup, and when White does get e5, race on the queenside with ...b5, ...b4 and ...c4 and the c-file. Keep the king safe with ...h6 and ...Kh8 when needed, put a knight on d4 or c5, and use ...f6 to undermine the e5-pawn.
History of the King's Indian Attack
The system grew out of the King's Indian Defense in the 1930s and 1940s, when players realized that the same setup with an extra tempo made a comfortable opening for White. Réti's and Nimzowitsch's fianchetto ideas were its ancestors, and Soviet players such as Botvinnik and Petrosian used it as an occasional weapon. Bobby Fischer made it famous with a series of crushing attacking games in the 1960s, above all against the French and the Sicilian, and it has been a staple of club repertoires and opening books ever since, prized for the small amount of theory it requires.
King's Indian Attack FAQ
Is the King's Indian Attack a good opening?
It is a sound, flexible system that gives White a comfortable game and a clear attacking plan with very little theory. It does not promise an advantage against accurate defense, which is why it is more popular at club level than at the top.
What is the difference between the King's Indian Attack and the King's Indian Defense?
The King's Indian Defense is Black's setup with ...Nf6, ...g6, ...Bg7 and ...d6 against 1.d4. The King's Indian Attack is the same formation played by White, with Nf3, g3, Bg2, d3, Nbd2 and e4, and an extra tempo.
How do you play against the King's Indian Attack?
Take away the e5 plan: trade the f3-knight with an early ...Bg4, or play ...c6 and ...e5 to occupy the center first. If White does get e5, counterattack fast on the queenside with ...b5, ...b4 and ...c4.
Is the King's Indian Attack good for beginners?
Yes. It is one of the easiest openings to learn because the same setup works against almost everything, and the e5-then-attack plan teaches how a kingside attack is built. Its limit is that it does not test Black.
Did Fischer play the King's Indian Attack?
Yes. Fischer used it regularly in the 1960s, especially against the French and the Sicilian, and his games against Myagmarsuren at Sousse 1967 and Ivkov at Santa Monica 1966 are the model attacks that made the system famous.
Named variations
More ECO A07 openings
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