Summary
Starting from 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6, players enter the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation, Aronin-Taimanov Defense — ECO E97. With 1,003,722 games on record, the patterns below come from the largest practical sample available.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the King's Indian Defense: Orthodox Variation (7.0-0). On the White side, Lubomir Ftacnik (83 games), Vladimir Epishin (72 games), Ivan Farago (69 games) top the database. Notable Black exponents: Wolfgang Uhlmann (81 games), Mark L Hebden (71 games), Friso Nijboer (67 games).
Main Lines and Variations
After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6, the established follow-ups are:
Each branch leads to a different middlegame character — the resulting pawn structure decides what kind of game you get.
Common Mistakes
- Drifting away from main theory — At 400 Elo, the three most-played moves cover 90.6% of games, against 97.4% at 2000. The most popular deviation is dxe5 (played 19.2% of the time at 400, much less so up top). It looks fine but quietly hands the better-prepared side an edge.
- 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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