The King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 8.Re1 begins with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nbd7 8.Re1 (ECO E95). Lichess records 58,744 games in this line, which gives us a reliable view of how it actually performs in practice.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the King's Indian Defence: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4... 7.0-0. On the White side, Wlodzimierz Schmidt (15 games), Mark E Taimanov (14 games), Vladimir Epishin (13 games) top the database. Notable Black exponents: Lothar Vogt (27 games), Rainer Knaak (24 games), Miguel Najdorf (17 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
The picture changes a lot as you climb the rating ladder. Among 1200-rated players, it appears in 0.00% of games — 108 of them on record — with White winning 61.1% and Black 36.1%. At 1800 the opening surfaces in 0.00% of games; White wins 55.5%, Black 39.6%, draws 4.9%. At 2500, 0.03% of games go into this opening; draws sit at 9.7% — the line is well-mapped at this level. White's edge erodes by 13.2pp from 1200 to 2500 Elo, suggesting Black's counterplay is easier to find with experience.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
What players actually play after the opening moves depends heavily on rating. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is exd4, played 39.8% of the time. There are 5 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 72.2% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 2.67. By 2500, Re8 dominates at 34.9% of replies; only 4 viable alternatives remain and 78.8% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 2.44.
Main Lines and Variations
The main branches off 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nbd7 8.Re1 include:
Each branch leads to a different middlegame character — the resulting pawn structure decides what kind of game you get.
Common Mistakes
- Neglecting development — Extra pawn moves in the opening are tempting, especially when you "know the moves". Developing a piece each turn is the simple correction.
- Letting White own the centre — Hypermodern openings concede central space on purpose, but only if you strike back in time. Delay the counter-blow and you end up squeezed.
Practice on Chessiverse
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