The King's Indian Defense

The King’s Indian Defense (KID) is one very popular opening both in friendly games and in tournament play. Almost every player who reached a modest level in chess knows about this defense.

The KID is considered a “hypermodern opening” since it allows white to initially take control of the center with the objective of challenging such control in later moves.  After white’s control of the center with pawns, black plays conservatively as if waiting for an attack. With proper handling of the pieces coupled with the right timing, the KID usually takes the initiative.

In tournament play and even in friendly games, the KID is a wonderful choice when playing against d4 (or even Nf3). It is a superb weapon against positional openings that emanate when one plays d4. With the KID, there is flexibility in replying to various situations that may arise on the chessboard.

The KID however is somehow viewed as "passive" and is dictated mostly by white's intention on the board in the early stages of the game. Black usually allows white to initiate an attack on the queenside with pawns with the hope of neutralizing such advance with a kingside attack. While the KID is viewed as "passive", the opening usually results to complications where black's fianchettoed bishop plays a very important role.

The well-known practitioners of the KID are former World Chess Champions Bobby Fischer and Gary Kasparov. These great players have popularized the KID and have brought the opening to its highest level. If we take a closer look at the games of these two famous chess players, we can see how effective the KID in winning chess games.